Super Psycho Love
by Wild Rhov
Summary: After Natsu breaks up with Lucy, she wants to make him jealous, so she flirts with Gray. It works...too well! Natsu slowly grows insane as he sees Lucy and Gray happy together. Will he snap? Will Gray free Lucy's heart from its desire for revenge? Or will they all fall victim to this "super psycho love"? Based on the GrayLu/NaLu AMV. Spicy, but very dark.
1. Something Lately Drives Me Crazy

_A/N: Based on the YouTube AMV by Moonlessnight126 found here: **youtu. be/bxk1LwjcJ10** (remove space after "."__) Watching the video will spoil the fic, but it's really amazing. Music for the AMV is from Simon Curtis' "Super Psycho Love."_

_Warning: It's OOC if you believe Lucy isn't the sort to seek revenge. Personally, I think any overly-proud woman might be tempted to "get even" with a person who wronged her, and do foolish things in the process. Heaven knows I did things not in my character when wronged by a boyfriend! Warning: the plot gets very dark in later chapters...very, very dark!  
_

_Disclaimer: Plot by Moonlessnight126, __all characters by Hiro Mashima, the words are mine._

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**Super Psycho Love**

a _Fairy Tail_ fanfic

by Rhov and Moonlessnight126

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Chapter 1

**Something Lately Drives Me Crazy**

Gray stepped up to the guild hall just as Lucy burst through the doors. He barely had time to step aside and let her by before she stomped past him, not even saying hello. No tears were on her face, although she was sniffling as if crying. Instead, he saw fury in her eyes. His hand reached out for her as she stormed by, but he stopped himself. He was not good at dealing with emotional girls anyway, and he had no clue what happened. For all he knew, Happy said her butt looked big in that skirt. Instead of calling out to her, Gray continued to go inside the Fairy Tail guild hall and walked straight to the bar. The best person to ask for gossip was, after all, Mirajane.

"Yo, Mira, an ale and tell me what's up with Lucy."

Mirajane got the beer going as she explained. "Lucy and Loke just broke up."

"Well, that was quick," Gray mumbled, not that he was too surprised that their relationship lasted less than a week. "I figured he'd cheat on her. So she dumped him, huh?"

"Actually, that's not the case," the bartender said, setting the foamy mug in front of Gray. He eagerly began to drink it down to quench the summer heat. "I'm not clear on all the details since they were shouting about all sorts of stuff, but it was Loke who broke up with Lucy."

Gray spit out the beer and began to choke. "He...he what? Loke? But...but that jerk has been after her for ages, ever since he became her Celestial Spirit. After all these years flirting with her, he dumped her in five days? What an asshole!" he shouted.

"Gray, that's not all..."

"Poor Lucy," he said over her, looking back to the doors. "Ever since breaking up with Natsu, she's had nothing but bad luck with men."

"Maybe for a reason," Mirajane whispered to herself. "Natsu broke up with her too, if you'll recall."

"Yeah, but we all know he's an idiot," Gray shrugged. "That damn flame-brain didn't realize he'd never get a girl as good as Lucy again."

"Perhaps, but the others broke up with her, too." She eyed Laxus and Gajeel, two other men who had dated Lucy over the past six months since her and Natsu's shocking breakup. Mirajane knew there had been others: Hibiki, Sting, and a few men around town for one-night stands. Softly, she confided to Gray, "There are rumors about Lucy's bad habits. I heard from Levy, who was told by Gajeel, that Lucy toys with her guys, treats them like pets or servants. I wonder if that has something to do with her relationship with her father," she mused.

"Doesn't matter," Gray said with determination, and he gulped down his beer far too fast. "This must be heartbreaking for Lucy, to always get such lousy men in her life."

Mirajane smirked coyly. "Oh? Do you plan to do something about it, Gray?"

His blue eyes glanced over to the bartender with a smirk. "Maybe I should!"

She was afraid of this. "You really shouldn't get involved with her. From what Levy told me..."

"I don't care about gossip," Gray snapped, and he finished off his mug. "At the least, Lucy needs a friend."

"Gray, if you'll just stop and listen..."

"Thanks, Mira," he interrupted. He laid down a few Jewels to pay for the drink, then shoved himself off the barstool and marched out the door.

Mirajane laid a hand on her cheek. "Oh dear me! That boy has no patience at all, not even to hear someone fully explain a problem. Oh well, he'll have to learn the hard way. It seems Lucy's going to have another victim soon." She shrugged and went to the sink to clean a few glasses while the crowd was busy talking about the breakup.

In the corner of the hall, sitting with a strong drink that would have gained Cana's respect, Natsu watched all of this with narrow, glaring eyes. The shadows in that corner had fled by the low flames that danced over his skin, hinting at the fiery jealousy burning within, slowly driving the dragon slayer insane.

"Gray..." Natsu sneered.

**End of Chapter 1**

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_A/N: This intro is not in the video but is mentioned in the creator's notes. It establishes what's going on. Natsu and Lucy dated, he dumped her 6 months ago, and now she's had a bad run of luck with men._


	2. Tell Me Why I Feel Unwanted

Chapter 2

**Tell Me Why I Feel Unwanted**

Lucy fumed as she stomped through the summery streets of Magnolia. Not only had her relationship with Loke ended far too soon—she had no time to play with him at all—but he almost ruined it for her. If she had not slammed his gate shut and forced him back to the Spirit World, he would have told the whole guild about her dark secret.

Damn that Lion and his keen instincts! He saw right through her intentions from the very start.

What was worse was that dating Loke got no reaction out of Natsu at all, not like the delicious shock he had shown when she began going out with Laxus, and the flaring jealousy he displayed when she went for Gajeel. That choice had nearly ruined her friendship with Levy, but it was worth it to see Natsu fuming. Served him right for breaking up with her!

She was not done tormenting Natsu, either. Maybe it was mean, maybe it was not at all like the sunny face she showed to everyone at the guild. She no longer cared about keeping up appearances now. After all, Lucy had been raised as an heiress, a lady with a large sense of pride and dignity. She had been brought up with servants obeying her wishes, eager to please her. She did not easily forgive those who insulted her or her friends. So how dare some crude cretin like Natsu lead her on for so many months, whisper he would be with her forever, take her virginity, pleasure her in all the ways she always wanted, only to say he was bored now and dump her like that! How dare he steal her innocence and then discard her like a broken toy!

Well, she knew about toying with people! She wanted Natsu as her pet, a little dog to eat out of her fingers. Once he was her plaything, she would punish the bad dog and laugh as he crawled away with his tail between his legs.

For the sake of all future girlfriends, that boy needed to learn that women were not something to be used and discarded. Or so she told herself.

She did not actually want Natsu back as a boyfriend; that was not the issue here at all. His goofy side was plain annoying. He was good in bed, but lousy to take on dates. She just wanted him to want her again so she could deny him his desires. It was similar to the punishments her father sometimes used to dole out to the servants.

Besides, the guy had a dark side to him that thrilled her. Lucy wanted to see that darkness, that dragon slayer whose angry eyes could burn a person's soul!

She had thought an older and experienced man like Laxus would cull out that inner darkness, but perhaps she had made her move too soon. She knew Gajeel and Natsu were rival dragon slayers, and she had hoped they would fight over her. She likely could have pushed them to that point, seduced Gajeel into "claiming" her as his mate, and Natsu would have been able to smell the other dragon slayer's "marking," yet it was not worth seeing Levy so depressed. They broke up with mutual understanding, but then the jerk bragged that he was the one who dumped her. She thought for certain Loke would have gone as far as she wanted, maybe even helped her to teach Natsu a lesson since he was supposed to obey her orders. Alas, that playboy saw something in her actions and bailed out, just like Laxus did when she got too clingy.

So who else? Who could she date who would make Natsu jealous, but someone who would be fine with showing a little public affection to torment her ex-boyfriend? Dating Hibiki and Sting did not work simply because they were too far away. Natsu did not get to see them happy together. Hibiki's flowery praise was hardly anything unusual; he talked to all women like that, so it had no affect. Although Natsu had fiercely warned her not to have anything to do with Sting and definitely showed signs of jealousy, the white dragon slayer was too hard to manipulate. He made a terrible toy. No, it had to be someone in Magnolia, someone Natsu could see every day. That was the best way to punish him.

She paused in the park. Although it was a crowded summer day, she had felt eyes upon her for some time, someone watching her. Looking back, she saw a shadow in the bushes quickly pull back around a narrow tree. It made her heart leap in a moment of fear, but she narrowed her eyes. Some stalker, huh? She could deal with creeps like that.

She pointed her finger sharply at him with one hand on her whip. "Get out here. I've caught you, so just come out."

In his hiding place, Gray's eyes widened in shock. How could she have sensed him so easily? Still, there was no use hiding now. He slouched around the tree that he thought had blocked him and came out from the bushes.

"Yo, Lucy," he greeted, trying to sound casual, as if they bumped into each other purely by accident and not like he had been tailing her for the past ten minutes.

She frowned at him. Gray? That surprised her. "Taking lessons from Juvia in stalking, huh?"

"I wasn't..." he began to yell, yet he fell silent and petulantly looked away.

His shirt was unbuttoned, not missing yet, but likely he had been ready to strip when she called him out. As he folded his arms and looked aside with a faint blush, Lucy could hardly help but notice how that movement made his pectorals bulge. Gray went around topless most of the time, but none of the girls in Fairy Tail minded. He was hot! Her eyes lazily drifted down from the sword pendant necklace, across the guild mark that screamed for attention on his muscular chest, down taut abs, and to his trousers.

She wondered for a moment...why had she not thought about using Gray? He and Natsu were sworn eternal rivals. If Gemini was right, the Ice-Make mage was interested in the celestial summoner. Following her like this only proved it. A smirk lifted onto Lucy's face.

This could work perfectly!

"Why were you following me?" she asked coyly.

"I was worried. I heard about you and Loke."

A small pang of worry troubled her. "Heard? What did you hear?" She would order Virgo to punish Loke if he came back under his own magic and blabbed her plans of revenge to everyone.

"Not much. The jerk dumped you. That's harsh, especially for Loke. Are you okay?" he asked, looking truly concerned.

_Jackpot!_ Lucy sashayed up to him and bit on her lip to look seductive as she played the victim. "To tell you the truth, it hurt," she said in a small, meek voice. "I thought Loke really liked me, but then he said such mean things to me."

Gray felt anger surge in his veins. "I'll kick his ass!"

"Gray?" She suddenly rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso, slithering her hands under the opened shirt and feeling the cool muscles on his back. "Am I really that terrible?"

"Wh-what?" he stuttered, shocked by her sudden move. "What the hell did that bastard say about you?"

"No, it's just...no guy wants me, or all they want is my body. I hate it!" She gave a sniffle and turned her face as far away as possible while snuggling into him. "They don't want me for _me_. None of them see Lucy Heartfilia. They see big boobs and slender legs." She felt Gray slowly move a hand to rest on her shoulder, awkwardly comforting her. It made her smile, so she buried her head deeper into his chest to hide that tattling grin. Trying to sound choked up, she muttered, "Tell me why I feel unwanted."

The shiver he felt through her body tore at Gray's heart. "Lucy," he whispered.

Gray stroked down her golden hair, feeling the softness of the strands. He had liked her long before she and Natsu started dating. Natsu simply made the first move, and Gray kept his distance out of respect. So long as she was happy, that was enough, he told himself while battling intense feelings of jealousy every time he saw the two share a kiss. He had stormed out in blind fury the day Natsu burst into the guild hall happily bragging that he and Lucy were now "mates." Watching them so happy made him feel ill, yet he continued to smile for her sake.

When she and Natsu broke up, it nearly destroyed their team. Lucy went on more missions with Levy and Team Shadow Gear, or she escorted Wendy and Romeo on their missions since they were underage. It took two months before Erza demanded that the old team should reunite for a mission, and no one argued with Erza. Even now, Team Natsu was a powder keg of drama. Natsu seemed unaffected, Lucy tried to act the same as always, but it was obvious they were both forcing themselves to work together.

Gray did not want to add oil to those flames.

Yet now, the soft pang in his heart could hardly help but want to protect Lucy, shelter her, comfort her, smother her in affection. Emotions that were forced down when Lucy and Natsu began going out, feelings that slowly tortured him when she began dating those other men, now flogged him into action. Gray took her chin and tilted it up. Despite her sniffles and shaking chest, there were still no tears in her eyes. Faking it? Or was she being stubborn about not crying in public? Still, her face looked wracked with worry, and that at least appeared to be genuine.

"Don't listen to them, Lucy." His eyes began to roam lower. How could he not stare at her chest pressed against his body, shoving those huge breasts into gravity-defying globes! Still, that would make him as bad as the men she had dated, so he forced his eyes back up to her face. "Men like that don't deserve you," he told her tenderly.

"Oh?" she mused, staring at his lips. Her fingers clutched at his back, and she knew he was affected by the way his breath hitched. "And what do I deserve?"

"Someone who respects you." Despite the warning bells in his head, Gray began to lean in until he could feel her breath on his lower lip. "Someone...who loves you."

His voice was so deep, so sensual, sparking with so much passion, Lucy felt herself blush. None of the others had ever said they loved her, not like that. "Gray," she whispered.

His lips silenced her until all she could mutter was a hum of delight at how gentle his mouth felt, nothing at all like Natsu's dry lips, the stubble that made Laxus' lips scratchy, the hardness of Gajeel's lips, or the over-eagerness that had been in each of Loke's kisses. Despite his ice magic and the chill that permiated off of his body like standing near an air conditioner on a summer day, these soft lips were warm, comforting, like a kotatsu in the middle of winter.

Lucy wondered for a moment how many girlfriends Gray must have had to be able to kiss so well. Everything about it, from the way his mouth pulled ever so slightly on her bottom lip, to how he held her, was something a person learned with plenty of practice, and Gray kissed like a pro. Still, she did not sense arrogance in the kiss, not like she had with Laxus and Loke, nor wanton hunger like Natsu and Gajeel's kisses. No, Gray's kissing ability was on a completely different level, one Lucy had not experienced in her short time dating men.

The ache in her heart that had throbbed in a dull pain since Natsu broke up with her was suddenly gone. The fiery hatred was cooled by the touch of the ice mage. For a moment, she could forget about desires for revenge. Gray would protect her. Gray would love her. Who needed Natsu anyway?

_No!_ She screamed at herself and squinted her eyes tighter to block out those relaxing thoughts.

She refused to slip into that comfortable dependency again. If she let herself be taken in by sweet words, it would only happen all over again, being seduced, used, and discarded. She tried to shut her emotions off to it, yet as Gray's lips pressed tighter against hers, her heart pounded hard despite herself. She refused to let herself suffer that again!

The fear of falling into that old pain helped her like a life vest in the middle of an ocean of love. She refused to drown in that emotion again, at least not until she got her revenge. Just as she felt lightness in her heart, the darkness took hold of the small recesses once again. As she kissed Gray in the park, Lucy felt like cackling.

_Oh yes, this will be fun!_

Then they heard a group of children making gagging noises at them. Both of their eyes opened wide in surprise. Lucy did not have to pretend at her embarrassment. She stepped back and wiped her mouth discreetly while Gray cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

"I...thanks, Gray. I think...maybe I needed to hear something like that, but...not today."

"I'm sorry." He flinched at pushing himself onto her less than an hour after her breakup.

"No," she assured quickly. "I mean, I...I need some time but..." She smiled and finally looked directly at him. "Maybe we can go somewhere in a week. Just sit and talk, if you want. I...I really need a friend to hear me out. All the rumors going around the guild have been plain vicious."

He frowned as he remembered what Mirajane had been saying. Of course, if a guy like Loke dated three girls in a week, it was no big deal, but if a girl dated three guys in six months, that made her fair game for the gossips and busybodies. How dare any of them call Lucy loose, or a tramp toying with men's hearts, or say she was leading on all these men and deserved so much heartache! Gray wanted to defend her, to protect her, to hold her and comfort away all of her sadness. She might try hiding it, she might smile, play the flirt, distract herself with many new boyfriends, but he had seen how hurt Lucy looked when she thought no one was watching.

"Erza has a mission planned for tomorrow," he mentioned casually. "When we get back, how about I treat you somewhere?"

Her face brightened up, and her smile made Gray feel immense relief. "Sounds fun!"

Then she rushed off to her house with a bounce in her step. This was going to work so perfectly! She would not rush into it, not like she did with Laxus, and she felt she would not have to worry about pressuring Gray. On the contrary, she could keep him strung along at her leisure. With any luck, she could get both Gray and Natsu jealous, maybe even have them fight over her.

_Yes, a fight! A fight over me! All those people who said I'd never make good wife material, all those people in the guild who laughed at me for using my sex appeal, they'll see! Oh, how utterly devastated and humiliated Natsu will be when I pick Gray, his eternal rival, over him in front of the whole guild!_

It made her chuckle just thinking about the shock on the dragon slayer's face, the tears he would cry as he ran out of the guild with a broken heart, just like when he suddenly broke up with her and she had to run out of the guild hall so people would not see her sobbing. Then they would be even. Then he would be punished and learn that it was cruel to break a girl's heart and laugh about it. And who knows! Maybe after she got her revenge, she and Gray could truly have a fun time together. That would be the sweetest revenge of all!

Lucy hopped onto the low wall by the river, precariously walking one foot in front of the other as she sang a tune.

_Say that you want me every day,_  
_ That you want me every way,_  
_ That you need me,_  
_ Got me trippin' super psycho love._

**End of Chapter 2**

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_A/N: I don't own the lyrics to _Super Psycho Love_. It's part of the AMV this story is based upon._


	3. Confusing to the Core

Chapter 3

**Confusing to the Core**

Gray tried to focus on the mission. Really, he did. Erza led them like a captain, Natsu leaped forward with the eagerness of a berserker, which left Gray to keep an eye on Lucy. She had her Celestial Spirits and they fought amazingly well for her, plus her whip techniques were improving vastly.

God, she looked sexy cracking that whip! Gray smirked as he thought about how he wanted to see her in black leather, those spike-heeled boots he saw in her closet, that suggestive lingerie that shocked even Erza—and everyone knew Erza was a closet pervert—and have her crack the whip at him. If it was her, he would savor every bit of pain she could dole out. He would be her little slave, she the master, and he would beg her for more...

_Focus! Focus!_

Lucy had always been a bit cute, but since when had she become so goddamn sexy? Had she always looked this way and he just never noticed? Okay...so he had noticed. A lot! But after that kiss in the park, she was all he could think about. He kept staring at her from afar. Every time her eyes met his, his heart thumped faster, his chest burned, and the heat spread to his cheeks. His dreams were haunted by her voluptuous form, making him wake up to messed sheets.

"Gray, watch out!" Lucy shouted.

He had been looking back at her, worried about how she was handling the enemies, and had completely missed seeing a shot by his own opponent. A green blast of magic was already hurtling toward him. Gray cursed as he realized he had no time to dodge. Would a shield form fast enough? No time to think!

"Ice-Make..."

No! Not fast enough! His body tensed, realizing he was about to get blasted.

Just as he felt the edges of the blast, fire rushed past his face. He felt the flames singe his hair and stared at the breath of a dragon burning a mere inch from his nose. When the fire passed, the green blast was burned away and the opponent in front of him was a blackened lump of char groaning in pain. Then came a taunting voice.

"What's up with you, droopy-eyes?"

The ice mage sneered at the gloating tone and glared at Natsu. "Bastard! You almost hit me with that."

The dragon slayer shrugged, still grinning widely. "Those long bangs of yours could use a trim." Then Natsu walked right up to him and glared in a challenge. "Your fighting sucks today. Feeling a little...impotent?"

Gray's knuckles cracked as his fist tightened. The anger in his face delighted Natsu. Instead of pushing the ice mage into one of their usual fights, the dragon slayer turned around and walked to where Erza had rounded up the rest of the enemies.

"You need to keep on your toes, stripper," he shouted back loudly. "Stop being a pervert staring at Lucy's boobs and try focusing on your opponent instead. Lucy's strong. She can handle herself without you."

"Aww, thanks, Natsu," Lucy smiled.

"It's just the truth," he told her amiably. "You've improved a lot, Lucy."

"Aye!" Happy agreed. "Lucy doesn't yell _kyaa kyaa_ like she used to."

Lucy glared at the Exceed. "When did I ever yell _kyaa_ like that, you stupid cat?"

Erza loomed up behind her. "Lucy!"

"_Kyaaaa!_" she shouted in surprise.

"Like that," Happy giggled.

Erza looked disapproving. "Happy just complimented you. Don't insult him."

"Yeah, don't insult me!" Happy scolded.

"S-sorry, Happy," Lucy muttered.

Happy folded his arms. "I'll forgive you if you buy me a fish."

They headed back to town. Gray followed far behind, watching over the others. Erza handled a horse and cart that carried away the enemies to be locked up. Happy flew overhead. Lucy and Natsu were walking along the side of the cart, talking and laughing together just like old times. Gray stared at them hard. Every time Natsu put his hand on Lucy's arm, Gray felt his heart freeze a little. He wanted Lucy to push him away and yell at him to stop being so damn friendly. Gray wanted to shove the dragon slayer aside and warn him not to be so casual with touching Lucy.

Natsu suddenly laughed at some comment the celestial summoner made. "Haha! Lucy, you're so funny." He threw his arm around her and yanked her close, almost pulling her off her feet. "That's what I like about you, Lucy."

Gray's fists tightened. However, he could say nothing. The team was acting just like they used to. Having Natsu and Lucy like this was reminiscent, and he told himself it was probably healthy for their friendship to go back to how it used to be. If he warned either of them, they might get too self-conscious, and then things would be awkward again. Although Gray hated it, he told himself it was best to let Natsu and Lucy work out their issues.

After dropping off the perpetrators, Lucy cheerfully suggested that they stop at a ryokan, and Erza agreed. Natsu raced out to be first in the onsen with Happy flying right after him, cheering him on. Erza dressed in the yukata the inn provided and headed to the main dining hall to eat some cake before dinner. Gray really did not feel like soaking in the hot springs—hot water just wasn't fun for him—so he hung out in the room, sitting on the balcony and enjoying a cigarette. He had not smoked in a while, but he was feeling stressed trying to sort out his feelings.

_I just pushed myself onto Lucy before. She probably doesn't feel that way about me. Besides, she and Loke just broke up. It's too soon. But...but what if I hesitate again and she gets back together with that flame-brain?_

Gray let out a long stream of smoke and watched it float away into the early evening sky.

_I really don't want her to go through that again. He'd just use her and discard her when he's no longer interested. That idiot has the attention span of a five-year-old. Lucy deserves someone with a sense of loyalty, someone who knows how to treat a lady, not just a fuck-buddy. And what the fuck is taking her so long in the bathroom? Constipation again?_

"Gray," Lucy called just then. "I...sheesh, this is embarrassing..."

The bathroom door opened and Lucy slowly stepped out with her yukata barely even wrapped around. The cigarette dropped from Gray's loose mouth, fell onto his leg, and burned. He cried out, brushed it off, and crushed it out with his foot. Lucy giggled softly at the comical reaction.

"I hurt my arm in the fight and can't hold the yukata in place while tying it at the same time. Can you help me out a little?"

"I...um..." His cheeks burned hot as he came forward. "Okay, just...just tell me what you need."

The smile she gave him was devious and made Gray's throat go dry. "If you can hold the robe together, I can probably tie it. I don't want you to accidentally see, so come around behind."

He stood behind her and also looked aside to fight the temptation to look while Lucy tried to adjust the yukata around her massive breasts.

"Okay, it's in place. Now hold it."

He stretched around her body and meant to grab the edges of the robe, but his hands took hold of her breasts instead.

_Whoa, soft!_

He let go with a jolt, yanking the cloth with him, and the robe came completely undone.

"Gray!" she shouted, trying to reach the edges to keep them together discreetly. Lucy suddenly jolted in a stab of pain. "Oww! My arm."

"I'm sorry," he cried out.

Just then, the yukata came off her shoulders and fell to the ground in a rumpled pile around her thin ankles. Gray stared in absolute shock to see that Lucy was wearing nothing under the robe.

"L-Lucy!" he cried out in astonishment. His eyes dropped down along her bare shoulders, her slim back, over wide hips, and down to two round, full, pale globes.

_My God, her ass is perfect!_

"Sheesh, and here I had hoped to wear such a cute yukata while staying at the ryokan," she sighed.

Lucy bent over to grab the robe. Gray coughed at how her soft butt cheeks popped out when she did that, and he got a view of her breasts hanging down like ripe fruits of sinful temptation as she leaned over. She hoisted the yukata back around her body and held it together in the front. When she turned around, she saw Gray's face had gone completely red, and a tiny bit of blood was coming from his nose. The gawking expression made her want to chuckle. She totally had him reeled in!

"What's the matter, Gray?" she teased. "We have to see you naked all the time, so why are you staring at me like that?"

He jolted and looked back up at her face. "I...I wasn't..."

She reached up to his face. He leaned back a little in terror. Was she going to slap him? Or maybe hold him still and kiss him? Instead, she squeezed his cheeks together until his mouth puckered out like a fish.

"Cute little pervert," she teased flirtatiously. "Since you've seen everything already, how about you just help me from the front."

"I...I didn't see all of it," he muttered.

"Do you want to?" Lucy began to open the robe again.

"No!" he shouted, and she pouted a little. "I mean...I..." He looked away petulantly. There was no way to recover this conversation. "You hold it in place, I'll tie it."

Lucy chuckled softly and pulled the yukata into its proper place. Gray tied it well, maybe even a little too tightly to make sure it did not come apart again, then he turned out of the room in a rush.

"Where are you heading?" she asked, following close behind.

"The bar," he grumbled. "I need a drink."

"Ooh, sounds good. Maybe they have those fruit drinks with the little umbrellas."

He had to laugh at that. It was such a "Lucy" drink.

Their team met for dinner. Gray already had three strong drinks down him and was nursing one of the fruit drinks Lucy mentioned, although he had asked for a triple shot of rum to buzz away any last frustrations.

It didn't work!

Lucy sat beside Natsu and flirted with him all through dinner. Or at least, Gray saw it as flirting. Erza said nothing about it, yet Natsu had begun to act like Lucy was his again. Lucy was flushed from alcohol and laughed loudly at Natsu and Happy's antics, the same dumb things that normally would have her shouting in anger. She leaned into him more than once and slapped his arm when he teased that she laughed like Cana after her fifth barrel.

Gray rubbed out a headache and look away from their playfulness. The vision from earlier, Lucy's naked body bending over to pick up the yukata, haunted him. Had she been flirting? Lucy normally would have freaked out and ran to hide, not leaned over right in front of him like that. So if she was flirting, why was she now hanging onto Natsu? It completely confused him, he hated how she was acting, yet her provocativeness had worked its charm. When he looked at her, he could see the cleavage and knew she wore nothing underneath. Knowing that aroused him uncomfortably.

"Hey Lucy," Happy said. "Your cheeks are the same color as Natsu's hair."

"Hmm," she smiled drunkenly. "You mean we match?" She grabbed Natsu's head and yanked it down so that his hair was right against her flushed face and his nose was down near her chest. "Is it really the same, Happy?"

"Aye!" the Exceed nodded. "You two match perfectly."

"We already knew that," Natsu smiled, and his eyes slid over to the Ice-Make mage. "Isn't that right, Gray?" he asked poignantly. "Lucy and I are a perfect match."

Gray ground his teeth. "Bastard," he growled.

This time even Erza caught what the dragon slayer said. "Natsu, don't take advantage of Lucy while she's drunk."

Lucy huffed. "I ain't drunk!" The hiccup at the end proved otherwise.

"I'm not doing anything," Natsu insisted with an innocent shrug. "She's the one who grabbed me. It's just lowering her inhibitions is all, loosening her up..." He gave another hard gaze at Gray. "...letting her do what she secretly desires."

Gray rose fast and left the table with a low growl.

Erza rubbed out a headache. "Natsu, that was totally uncalled for."

"Sorry, Erza. Did I say something bad?" He simpered quietly.

The Titania glared at him. "I'm serious, Natsu. Stop it before I beat the pink out of your hair!"

His face immediately straightened up. "Aye, sir," he said obediently.

Lucy watched Gray stomp off, and the frustration in his face made her chuckle to herself. Thanks to Gray, Natsu was warming back up to her. These little actions of jealousy were exactly what she was aiming for.

Happy tilted his head and frowned. "Your face is a different color now, Lucy. You look somehow darker."

"It's the lighting," she said distractedly. "I'll go talk to Gray."

"Leave him alone," Natsu insisted, looking angry now.

"I'm worried for him," she said, smiling to see the hardness in his eyes. "Gray's special to me too, you know." Then she ran off after the fleeing ice mage.

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he watched her go. "Gray," he sneered too soft for them to hear.

Happy watched him with a worried expression. "Now Natsu looks as dark as Lucy. I liked it better when you two matched pink, not dark."

* * *

Lucy found Gray in the hallway heading back toward their room. The drinks she had were definitely enough to make the room spin, but not so bad as she had been acting at the dinner table. She slowed down at seeing Gray, straightened her hair, and walked forward slowly, one foot in front of the other as she fought the alcohol's effects.

"Aren't you the moody one!" she teased. "Natsu doesn't like me, you know. He broke up with me."

"Well, he's sure acting like he does," Gray muttered. "You're not helping."

"Oh?" she asked innocently. "Am I doing something bad?"

He fell silent as two people walked through the hall, and they both waited until the couple were in their room. Then he lashed out at Lucy in anger. "Why'd you have to act like that? You're flirting with me, then you're flirting with Natsu. How exactly do you feel about him?" he shouted, then calmed down a little. "And how do you feel for me?"

She huffed and looked away. "I'm not flirting with anyone. Are you going to accuse me of flirting with Happy just because I bought him a fish? Or maybe you'll accuse me of flirting with Erza just because we're sharing a room." She sauntered up to him close enough so her breasts brushed up against him. "Next thing you know, Natsu will accuse me of flirting with you just because I came here to talk to you. It's the same as the rumors in the guild. People accuse the cute blonde of anything they feel like."

Gray's eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. Of course he noticed her soft breasts with how she squeezed her arms together to push them out. "You're up to something. I refuse to think you're this slutty by nature."

She backed off in shock. "Slutty? How dare you! I'd slap you if you weren't my friend."

"And I'd knock some sense into you if you weren't mine," he warned. "Look, Lucy..."

He paused, tried to collect his feelings, and looked down at her. He could hardly help it. His hand reached out and lightly stroked her cheek. Her skin was so soft, and the alcohol she had been drinking all night warmed her cheeks up. She leaned into the touch, and her smiling face melted his icy heart.

"If you want to be with me, I'm up to that," he assured her, letting his fingers stroke back to her neck. "I'd treat you well, not at all like those other guys. No one will have a reason to spread bad rumors about you. If they did, I'd kick the crap out of them."

"Oh Gray," she chuckled, snuggling her cheek into the palm of his hand.

"But," he warned directly, "I'm not going to be pitted against Natsu."

Lucy's eyes opened fast at that. Had she made it too obvious? Why was he firm about this issue? Gray was always fighting with Natsu, so why was he on his side now, after everything she set up? His icy gaze thrilled her and chilled her.

Gray saw the momentary fear in Lucy's eyes. As he had guessed, she was up to something. What Mirajane said about Lucy treating her boyfriends like pets _couldn't_ be true...right? It pained him to think Lucy was even capable of toying with his emotions. Just wondering if that was what she had planned made him furious.

"If that's what you want, you can forget it," he yelled, swishing his hand out in rejection. "I hate that flame-brain, but he's our teammate. You can't lead us both on like this. It isn't fair to either of us. Pick one guy and stick to him. Maybe..." His hand fisted up, and he looked aside in regret. "Maybe kissing you was a bad idea. Our team was almost destroyed last time. The same thing will happen if we get together."

She glared at him. "We're not even dating and yet you're dumping me?" she said softly, barely holding back fury.

"I'm saving us both," he explained, although his heart hurt to say that. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I like you...a lot," he muttered, embarrassed to confess that. "However, our friendship and the bond we have within this team means a lot to me. Sort out your issue with Natsu first. Then we'll talk."

She stared at him for a silent moment, her brown eyes simmering in emotions she hid deep in her heart, too deep for Gray to read them clearly. Then Lucy turned away sharply and ran off. Gray watched her go with a weary sigh. Slowly, the tension in his shoulders and arms loosened, and a tight fist he did not know he had been making dropped with a weary shudder.

"Sorry, Lucy," he muttered to himself. "A relationship would complicate everything. I know you want it, but...maybe it's too soon. Maybe you need time. Please...please don't hate me." Then Gray walked off to their room. He threw off his clothes, curled down into his bed, slammed his eyes shut, and hoped he could at least pretend to be asleep before the rest of them came into the hotel room.

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. Something Substantial With Me

Chapter 4

**Something Substantial With Me**

Gray felt something warm in his mind, then a soft touch. He opened his eyes to blue sky and Lucy looking down on him. Her blonde hair framed her peachy face, and the tips tickled his cheeks. Her eyes were gentle and squinted with a smile. Her whole body seemed to blur in the glare of the sun, until all he could really point out were her eyes and red lips.

"Sleepyhead," she teased softly. Then she pulled away and was gone.

Gray stood and looked around in confusion. He was in a grassy field dotted with tiny indigo flowers. In the distance shimmered a dark lake rippling with a summer breeze. In the middle of the floral field stood a solitary, dark green willow tree.

Gray walked toward the tree and saw Lucy lying in the veiling shade, her knees up, seemingly asleep. From where he stood, he could clearly see her red underwear. He felt like teasing her, but he decided just to warn her about the revealing position. He brushed aside the drooping willow branches and entered her little domain. The shade within felt refreshingly cold compared to the burning summer sun. Lucy's eyes opened slowly, and she smiled at seeing him.

"You're wearing your coat, Gray."

He looked down and realized she was right. He was still fully dressed in a black turtleneck and white lengthy coat.

"Take it off," she ordered in a sultry tone.

Gray hardly needed an order to strip. He threw aside the clothes, all of them, until he stood stark naked in front of her. He watched her eyes rove over his skin until she smiled with lusty approval. Then Gray knelt beside her.

"Lucy..." It seemed foolish to warn her about her underwear showing now. They were safe in the shade of this tree, away from all other eyes.

Lucy reached up and stroked his face. "Kiss me, Gray."

The urge was so strong, he obeyed without thinking about it. To hell with Natsu and Loke and all the others! Lucy was touching _him_ now. She was kissing _him_. When he began to unbutton her blouse, she helped him to slide it off.

Lucy reached down and took hold of his stiff shaft. Gray moaned at her touch. His lips suckled her breasts while his fingers sought out her warm moistness between her legs, thrusting inside and listening to her gasps. She was so soft inside and scorching hot compared to his icy fingers. He felt a strange sense of possessiveness. Gray suddenly wanted to claim her thoroughly. He wanted to possess every part of her, not just outside...but _inside!_

"Gray," she moaned hotly into his ear. "I want you."

The ice mage swallowed hard. He hated to admit it to anyone, but hearing a woman say that they wanted him always turned him on. He needed her desperately now. He had felt this deep desire for a while, and now she was here under him, moaning that she wanted him. It was a dream come true.

"Take me, Gray," Lucy pleaded, rolling her hips up for him in offering.

He caressed the smoothness of her rump, around the thighs, and spread apart the fuzzy lips below. He gazed at the forbidden entrance that had mystified men for ages. That possessive desire surged in him, making his cock dance like a child waiting for recess and a chance to run wild on the playground. Now he was staring at his "playground," and Gray felt like he had never seen anything so amazing in his life.

"I love you, Lucy," he whispered as he slowly lowered himself onto her to slide within.

"Nnnngh...yes," Lucy groaned.

Gray felt how tight she was, and he pressed harder to break in. He looked down at where his flared head was trying to stab inside that small hole. It was a miracle such a thing could fit inside a woman, but for some reason he felt resistance. There was no way she was a virgin. Happy had asked Erza to explain a scene he saw between Natsu and Lucy, and his innocent question and description left the whole guild either beet red or nosebleeding. Determined, Gray lined himself up precisely and gave a sharp thrust.

Lucy screamed and scratched her nails into his back. "Oh God, you're so huge! It's...it's spreading me wide. It's filling me so much it hurts."

"Should I stop?" he asked with a smirk.

"No! Oh God, don't pull out. More!"

Gray began to rock slowly, thrusting into her more and more, slowly increasing in speed. He watched Lucy's breasts bounce at each snapping lurch. They were hypnotic, and he grabbed hold of them. Lucy yowled like a cat in heat.

"Aaaaah, Gray!"

Suddenly, there was a shout by the lake. "Gray-sama, noooo!" came Juvia's shriek of protest.

Gray looked back in shock. Had someone actually been there this whole time? He felt ashamed, and seeing the tears in Juvia's eyes hurt him. Lucy glared at the interruption, pulled out a golden key, aimed, and shot out a jet of glowing spirit energy. It struck Juvia, and the rain woman burst into a rainbow of wet droplets.

Gray felt stunned and angry. "What the hell was that?" he screamed.

Lucy gazed up at him with a shadow behind her eyes. "She was in the way. I don't want you going back to a girl like that."

Although Gray knew he should feel horrified, all he wanted was to thrust into Lucy. He felt himself sweating and panting heavily with raspy grunts whenever she squeezed her inner muscles around him.

"Oh Gray...oh God...more. Give it to me harder!"

Then another voice entered the scene. "What the hell!" Gray saw the pink hair at the same time that Natsu rounded the trunk of the willow tree and stared down at them. "What do you think you're doing to _my_ Lucy?" the dragon slayer asked with flames flickering on his skin.

"Gray, more!" Lucy begged. "I'm almost there."

"But Natsu..." he began to protest.

"Don't stop!"

Natsu knelt beside them and smiled. "Please her or leave her, Gray." He grasped Lucy's breasts and rolled the nipples between his fingers. "I at least know how to make her feel good. I was her first, after all. Isn't that right, Lucy?"

"Natsu!" Lucy whimpered.

Gray was furious now. "Don't say his name."

He slammed harder into Lucy, fucking her rougher than he had ever made love to a girl. Lucy screamed as her back arched high and her nails clawed desperately at him. Gray felt himself about to lose control. Still Natsu squatted beside them, watching Lucy, playing with her, chuckling darkly as Lucy began to shudder.

All around them, the sky darkened. Gray sensed the chill in the air as the weather went rough. The wind blew harder, and the lake began to thrash at the coming storm. Soon hail began to fall, large icy balls that struck and crushed the indigo flowers until the color bled and blended with the smattering ice, painting the land with a murky shade of blue.

Pale green eyes turned to the ice blue ones as the dragon slayer goaded on the ice mage. "You're not enough for a girl like Lucy."

"Natsuuu!" Lucy shrieked as she tightened around Gray's shaft.

"No!" Gray yelled just as he began to cum. "Don't...don't say his name!" As the ice mage moaned in a powerful orgasm, the hail around him fell harder, deafening, although the willow shielded them like an over-sized umbrella.

"Natsu!" Lucy squealed.

"She wants me," the dragon slayer laughed victoriously.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Gray roared lividly. "Don't say his name while I'm fucking you."

Gray covered his hands over Lucy's howling mouth, smothering her cries. When he thought he heard her scream Natsu's name again, he pressed harder on her mouth, completely blocking her ability to make a single sound, although his technique was excessively rough.

"You better stop it, droopy-eyes," Natsu said casually. "You're gonna snap her neck."

Still Gray practically strangled her with his bare hands. "I won't let him beat me! Not with you," Gray screamed at Lucy, ignoring her huge, frightened eyes. "I won't allow it! I won't! I won't..."

* * *

Gray jolted up in bed feeling sweaty, furious, and dirty...

Very dirty.

He looked down at his moist, messed sheets and cursed. "Damn. Third time this week," he muttered.

He glanced around in somnolent confusion and slowly realized he was still in the ryokan. He heard Natsu's snoring, Happy's fish-themed mutters, and gentle breathing from Erza. Lucy was not around. Her bed was disturbed, so he guessed she got up for a midnight snack. He cleaned up as well as he could and wrapped a yukata around him. Then Gray left the room with his messy bedding rolled into a ball and dumped the sticky sheets in a hamper far down the hall so no one would be suspicious. He had to search a bit before he found a maid on night duty and asked her for new bedding. The way she smirked at him, he guessed he was not the first guest to have a wet dream and want to discreetly hide the evidence.

Despite it being the middle of the night, he decided for a better cleaning job in the bathhouse, followed by a soak in the onsen to melt away the memories of the erotic dream.

"What was up with that anyway?" he wondered aloud as he cleaned in a totally empty bathing area. "Willow tree, a lake, a hailstorm, Natsu disturbing us like that. I wonder if there's some weird symbolic interpretation to it all...besides the fact that I want to kill that flame-brain at the mere thought of him touching Lucy. So then why did I nearly strangle Lucy? And why did Juvia show up in my dream? Gah! It's just a dream." He dumped a bucket of cold water over his head to wash away the suds and clear his mind. "I need to give Lucy time. I can keep cool for a few weeks. Give her time, let her sort out her feelings, then we'll see. Yeah, that's the best thing to do. That's what a gentleman would do, right? And who the hell am I talking to? Damn, stupid dream has me all out of whack. A soak, then I'll try to sleep more."

He stepped out into the hot springs soaking area. It was dark with only a few paper lanterns to give a muted bruised-orange light. He dropped his towel to the side and slid right into the water. The pool was large, used for mixed bathing, and it had artificial rocks to divide sections in case people wanted a bit of privacy. From where he was, he could not see the end of the pool, and the utaseyu that streamed down into the pool like little waterfalls almost drowned out the chirping of frogs. At night, the heat from the onsen was not so bad, and Gray managed to relax a bit.

"Just a crazy dream," he sighed.

"You had one, too?"

Gray jolted, and water splashed from the sudden movement. From behind a rock cropping, a shadow moved. It was too dark to see clearly, but the voice was unmistakable.

"Lucy?" he asked in shock. "Wh-what are you doing in here at this time of night? It isn't safe for women."

"Oh please, I can take care of myself," she sighed in frustration.

Slowly, she moved forward through the murky water. Gray watched as the steam moved aside, unveiling her curvaceous body. Only the area below her waist was covered by the hot spring. Everything above was slowly being revealed as she stepped into the lantern light. Under the water, Gray felt himself getting harder despite his recent wet dream. He hissed at how the heated water undulated with Lucy's slow steps, waving over his sensitive skin.

"I had a bad dream, then woke up to my shoulder throbbing. I figured I should soak a little more before we have to leave in the morning. And you?"

"Ah...um...yeah, a weird dream as well. Maybe this hot spring is haunted by a dream yokai or something."

"Ehh? That would be really scary, wouldn't it?" Lucy giggled as she came even closer. Gray could now see her fully, even the little bit of bush under the clear yet dark water. "Perhaps you should protect me from malevolent spirits," she smirked coyly.

"I thought you said you can take care of yourself."

"Against perverts, yes. Against yokai and oni..." She grabbed hold of his forearm. "Wouldn't a normal girl be scared about such things?"

"You're hardly normal," Gray chuckled.

"Oh yeah?" she simpered, and Lucy leaned right up against him until her breasts pressed against his taut pectorals. "Then what am I?"

Gray's gaze softened as he became enchanted by the softness of her body. "Exceptionally beautiful," he answered in a soft, deep voice.

Lucy suddenly pulled back and blinked mutely. She had not expected an answer like that. She just wanted to toy with Gray a bit, yet this surprising romantic side made her feel warm inside. Such an ironic reaction for an ice mage!

Gray looked aside, cursing himself for saying something that intimate. "I'm sorry. You still need to work out your issues. This is totally unreasonable of me. Just forget it."

He began to turn away when Lucy grabbed around his waist and held him tightly, hooking her hands together right at his belly button.

"You call a girl beautiful and then order her to forget it? You're really cruel, Gray."

His jaw clenched. "You're not making this easy," he growled.

"Oh?" she asked playfully. "Am I making it..._hard_?" Her hand drifted down from his waist and took hold of his erect cock. Gray shivered involuntarily. His mind temporarily went blank at the softness of her hand rubbing from the flared tip and squeezing as she pressed down the whole length. "Look at that. It seems I'm right. It's _very_ hard!"

The surge of lascivious desires faded reluctantly, and Gray regained a bit of rationality. Her actions, so blatantly wanton and impulsive, suddenly angered him. He swung his arms out, forcing away Lucy's embrace, and glared back at her. "Why you...!"

She laughed wildly and swam backwards out of the way of his tense fists, giggling into the night at seeing the tension in his sneering face. It was simply too cute, too perfect, precisely what she was aiming for.

Gray shouted at her, "I'm trying to be respectful of you, but you're acting like a twenty Jewel whore."

"Is that how cheap you like them, Gray?" she teased.

"I'm serious, stop it!" he shouted.

"Better be quiet. People are sleeping, you know," she taunted.

Gray clenched his teeth. "What the hell are you playing at, Lucy?"

"Wanna know?" She backstroked a bit more, moving into the shadows of the pool. "Come follow me and I'll tell you a secret."

He scoffed and looked away. All she was doing was toying with him. "I'm heading back."

"Oh, come on," she pouted. She quickly reversed her swimming and came back over to him. "Don't you want to know my grand scheme?"

"If it involves toying with me like you did with Laxus, Gajeel, and Loke, I'm not interested."

"Do you think I'm not serious?" she asked with a poker face.

"How could you be when you and Loke just broke up?"

"Oh please!" she scoffed, waving that off. "Five days dating that guy isn't long enough to make my heart race. However..." Her hands slithered over his chest. "...five minutes with you is plenty of time."

Lucy examined Gray's face. By the tightness around his jaws, the pinch between his eyebrows, and the way his eyes dilated as he gazed down at her, she could see that he desperately wanted her. She pressed her body a little closer, and her lower belly felt the stiff rod under the onsen's waterline. Gray's sense of propriety was holding him back, but he looked like a puppy ordered to _stay_ while a piece of bacon was hanging right in front of his nose. She easily could have tipped his moral scales, but then she might chance losing him completely. She needed a new strategy fast. Lowering her eyes coquettishly, Lucy pulled back.

"You pass," she declared softly.

Gray blinked in confusion. Pass? "The hell?"

"It's mean of me, I know," she explained with faux-meekness, "but I had to test you. After what happened with those other guys, I needed to know you weren't simply after my body. This was all a test, and you pass." She gave him a sunny smile. "I'm glad. I was worried for a moment there."

"You...you were...acting?" he asked in confusion.

"You don't really think I'm that slutty, do you?"

"No!" he shouted. His voice cracked under the tension in his groin, and he coughed it down. "No, of course not." He laughed and wiped away some sweat from his brow. "Wow, you really worried me there, Lucy." Still, something did not add up. "So if this was testing me, then why were you flirting with Natsu?"

"Ugh!" she groaned. "I was drunk. I probably reasoned it was just being friendly, but it came across as flirtatious. That's what my bad dreams were about, too. I'm really sorry about that. No more fruity alcoholic drinks for me."

Gray laughed out his worries. "That's a relief. But really, you should explain it to Natsu. I think he got the wrong idea."

"Later," she said, and Lucy leaned her head against his chest. "I'm scared of Natsu sometimes. What if he gets jealous?" Her fingers lazily traced his black guild mark. "If he tried anything, would you fight him for me?"

Gray stroked down her blonde hair and recalled that horrific dream of his. "If he dares to touch you, I'll kill that fucking flame-brain!"

A mischievous smile raised onto Lucy's face, but she kept her head down on his chest, listening to his heart beating. "I like you a lot, Gray. Do you think we could be together? Or do you still think it's too soon?"

He took her chin and tilted it up. This time, he felt no shame in looking over her entire body. After all, she was indeed exceptionally beautiful. Then Gray slowly leaned in and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Lucy moaned at how the ice mage could kiss so hotly while still sending shivers down her spine. He pulled back and looked down into her chocolaty eyes.

"If you want a real relationship, something substantial with me, then we can definitely be together, Lucy," he whispered gently, caressing her bare shoulders. "Let's discuss it more when we get back home. For now, turn around. I'll massage your shoulder, then we should go to bed. We still have to get up early, and Erza doesn't take any excuses."

After a massage, more kisses, and then drying off, they returned to their room. Gray gave Lucy a quiet goodnight kiss in the dark, then he climbed into his futon. Although the girls slept on the other side of the room, Gray's eyes lingered on Lucy, and hers gleamed back in the silvery moonlight. They smiled, but eventually both fell back into much-needed sleep.

On another futon, narrow eyes opened, and Natsu glared at the two of them. He had smelled when Gray had his wet dream, his nose accosted by the unmistakable odor of semen, and it did not take a genius to guess who Gray must have been dreaming about. He had seen Gray sneak out, and Natsu knew he was gone far too long for just a normal bath and soak. He now witnessed the kiss the two shared, even though they were quiet to make sure their lips did not make a smacking noise.

Despite their silence and sneaking, Natsu had been watching every movement, every touch, every unspoken word that formed on their lips as they silently told each other goodnight. He had watched it all quietly, letting the burning jealousy simmer in his heart until the acidic heat grew so painful, it made him want to scream and weep.

"She's mine, you exhibitionist bastard," the dragon slayer growled so softly, no one could hear him over the chirping of crickets and croaks of night frogs.

**End of Chapter 4**

* * *

_Rhov's Lesson In Dream Interpretation_

_Deciphering dreams is tricky. Each person has a unique world-view, thus symbolism varies from culture to culture and person to person. Some items and colors are generally recognized as being symbolic of certain emotions, but the interpretation can vary drastically for a single person. For instance, white represents purity and perfection in Western cultures, yet symbolizes death in Eastern cultures. To see a puppy in your dream symbolizes your carefree nature and refers to a blossoming friendship...unless you have a fear of dogs or recently lost a beloved pet. Dreams are private glances into our psyche, and only we can pick what the right symbolism is._

_Here are some symbols in Gray's dream:_

_**Indigo flowers** – Indigo symbolizes deceit. Wildflowers mean we need less complication in our life._

_**A dark, windy lake** – Lakes in dreams represent our inner emotional stability. A clear, calm lake reflects the inner calm we are feeling. A dark and disturbed lake shows inner turmoil._

_**Red panties** – Red is the color of danger, violence, blood, shame, rejection, sexual impulses and urges. Panties symbolize our ideas about sexuality. To dream about red panties represents a negative, excessive, or imbalanced desire. You may be aware of your partner's desires and preparing to exploit them to fulfill your own wants._

_**Dark green willow tree** – Dark green symbolizes immorality, cheating, deceit, selfishness, greed, a preoccupation with personal pleasure, not wanting to share with others, and fear of losing to another person. Willows represent a sense of magic, mystery, or can mean death, mourning, or feeling we are losing someone or something. They foretell the coming of sadness._

_**Key** – Keys often have sexual connotations in dreams and have many interpretations depending on the use of the key and its condition. They can represent intercourse, infidelity, or worries about impotence._

_**Hail falling upon a field of flowers** – This sort of dream is a warning that you have fallen into sin, and because of your sin you will go through many hardships._

_**Strangling** – To strangle someone in your dream shows you feel hostile about someone, or are repressing how to express your inner feelings._

_**Sex dreams** are highly symbolic and vastly open for interpretation. To dream about sex may refer to the integration and merging of contrasting aspects of yourself, representing psychological completion...or it may simply mean you want to bang the person hard!_


	5. I Know You Want It

Chapter 5

**I Know You Want It**

Lucy walked along the edge of the river, her arms outstretched to keep her balance, feeling happy to be home with her rent soundly paid and a little money left over. Her birthday was coming up, so she planned to splurge on herself. She had just spent the afternoon gazing at dresses, purses, shoes, anything on display in the windows of Magnolia's boutiques. Her spirits were high, and she hummed a song she heard a street musician playing in the town.

_Say that you want me every day,  
That you want me every way,  
That you need me...*_

"Lucy!"

She froze mid-step, almost losing her balance, and looked up fast to see the origin of the shout. Gray was a few steps ahead of her, waiting by her apartment with his arms folded over his chest and a gleam in his eyes nearly curtained by his lanky bangs.

"Gray!" she cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Then she smirked a little. "I'm surprised you didn't just let yourself in like you normally do."

He stayed where he was, waiting for her with that piercing stare. Lucy hopped off the low river wall and walked up to him, letting her body sway a little with each step. She saw his eyes drop, watching her hips and thighs, and she smiled privately at just how ensnared she had him. If she could truly capture Gray's heart, this would definitely make Natsu jealous. More than anything, she wanted the dragon slayer to suffer for casting her aside so thoughtlessly.

"Lucy," Gray said softer, then he glanced beyond her, watching the street traffic. She waited, still smiling. If he was nervous about people overhearing him, then what he had to say must be truly good. As soon as Strawberry Street had a lull in pedestrians, he went on. "I was trying to keep things slow, I didn't want you to think I'm after you just for your body, because really, I'm not. You're much more than merely beautiful."

That made Lucy blush a little. "Much more, huh? I'm not just boobs and a body?"

"Any woman could have good looks," he stated. "You're not just another pretty face. I wanted you to realize that first but...but dammit, you're too tempting."

He said it in a sneer, as if angry with her, yet she saw his eyes roaming her body, remembering how she looked when her yukata fell off, recalling how her wet skin gleamed in the hot springs, and yearning to see that bare body again. Lucy shifted her hips just slightly, and she watched his eyes follow their movement.

"I can't trust myself," he admitted softly, "so I want you to take the relationship at whatever pace you want. Whatever you're ready for..." His eyes were starving and dangerous as they gazed straight into her face. "...I'm more than willing to give it to you."

Jackpot! She grinned, and with just a nod of her head, Lucy invited him inside.

She walked through the front entrance and went up the main staircase to her room in the quaint rental home. As she walked and Gray followed her, she thought about how she should go about with this seduction. Should she change into something provocative? No, that might be too much. Perhaps she could light a romantic fire, and they could sit on the couch together until the tenderness of the moment led to more than just firelight kisses. No, Gray hated the heat, and it was still daylight in summer, so no need for a fire.

She was still plotting out her actions when she unlocked her door and walked in, instantly dropping her purse to the side and unlacing her boots. Gray also slipped his shoes off, but his eyes were utterly focused on Lucy. When she shut the door behind them, Gray reached over, covering her hand and latching the lock fast. Lucy looked up in surprise by the swift action only to find hungry eyes on her. For a brief instant, she felt like he had locked her in, trapping her like a caged animal. Her heart fluttered, instinctively sensing she should flee before getting captured. Then slowly, forcefully, she calmed herself.

_She_ was going to capture _him_, after all! That was her plan all along.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked, keeping her voice level.

Gray's steel-blue eyes roamed over her face, caressing her with just a gaze. Then his hand went up and stroked her cheek softly. "The only thing I need to drink..." His hand slid down to her chin while his finger moved delicately over her lips, "...is what comes from here."

Slowly, he leaned over and kissed her. Lucy felt a little smug that he was showing his desires instantly with no need for seduction. Her work earlier during the mission and in the ryokan worked perfectly. Now it was just a matter of gaining control over him...and Lucy was good at that. Natsu, Laxus, Gajeel, Loke: all of them had turned to putty in her hands, overwhelmed by her body, becoming enslaved through the weakness of their own male lust.

"You're so beautiful," Gray whispered as his lips ghosted over her cheek and up to her ear. His other hand caressed her neck, drifting from ear to collar, giving Lucy an involuntary shiver. "I've always wanted you, Lucy," he breathed softly, making the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Lucy heard a shuddering exhale as Gray's lips brushed ever so lightly over her ear. "Is it bad that I get so jealous when I see you with other guys? It's rather psychotic, isn't it? To love you this much...to want you as my own," he rasped hotly as his lips tugged on her earlobe. "To want you every day, needing you so badly, it hurts! It really does pain me to see you with other men, Lucy. It's agonizing! What a psycho love!" he exclaimed with a tense laugh. "But...God, I want you."

His words shivered for a moment, and she heard his breath hitch as he tried to regain control. Lucy's mind went blank. Her previous boyfriends had whispered things into her ear, praising her body, declaring their lust. However, Gray's words felt more like a sinful confession, something unholy that he was laying bare before her. It was like being told the dirtiest secret, and that trust he was bestowing upon her, confessing his lecherous desires, made Lucy tremble a little.

As Gray held her closer, she felt that he was immensely aroused already. His hips rolled against her, letting her feel how she was affecting him.

"This is what you do to me," he accused.

That dark sin was now her fault. Knowing she was the cause of his downfall thrilled her, and she moaned softly. His fingers glided down her skin, over her blouse, and to the hem that came just above the edge of her skirt, showing a tantalizing strip of bare skin right at her belly button. His fingers slid over that exposed part, tickling and making her burn up inside.

Still, he had barely kissed her. His mouth hovered right in front of her face, his breath slowing and growing heavy as he stared at her porcelain skin.

"You're too damn tempting, Lucy," he blamed her just before crashing his lips onto hers.

Lucy took that moment of weakness to gain control over him. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed, forcing him backwards. She guided Gray as he latched onto her mouth, refusing to give up her plump lips.

At last, his knees hit the edge of the bed, and she collapsed on top of him, straddling him and sitting right on top of that lump stiffening in his pants. He hissed softly as the pressure of her pushing right on that area hurt and felt good at the same time. His hands slid under the blouse, stroking her back, slowly creeping the shirt up. He felt her mouth open, inviting him, and Gray let his tongue venture inside, savoring her taste and feeling that electric connection of two tongues meeting together, twirling like a couple of dancers.

The wintermint taste of his mouth overpowered Lucy's tongue, tingling it like frost blasting through an opened door and into a hot kitchen. His touches were mere snowflakes fluttering over her skin, tingling with their cold touch, yet moving away before she could truly feel them. Only the melting feeling lingered, her heat making those ghostly touches mere memories.

She wanted to demand more, to get this over with so she could go to the guild and gloat to Natsu, show him with utter certainty that she was happy without him...to _hurt_ Natsu, as he had hurt her. That had been her original plan, but Gray was taking his time. Even his clothes were still on, and her shirt was only up to her ribs. He was obviously teasing her, yet she could not bring herself to tell him to stop.

He suddenly flipped her, and with the speed of his dexterous hands, her blouse was swept away in that single fluid move. Before her head could reach the pillow, his hand swept behind her back, a fast flick of fingers, and by the time her back hit the sheets, the bra was yanked away. He had totally undressed her from the waist up in less than two seconds.

"How do you do that?" she pouted.

Gray just smiled. "Talent."

Then his shirt also flew off, although she was used to seeing him do that. He hovered above her, his arm supporting his weight as he gazed down into her face. Gray looked surprisingly calm, satisfied, relaxed at the way this was turning into such a sensual moment. She frowned that he honestly looked pleased with himself and hoped he did not start acting cocky.

Then he leaned down, and the kisses started again. Lucy wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him closer, urging him to take this to the next level. However, Gray resisted her tugging hands. He was not done tasting her skin. His lips traveled off her mouth, sucking and licking down her neck, making her shiver. Then he nipped on her collarbone, and Lucy yelped in surprise.

He teased her with kisses on the top side of her breasts, then moved below, where the heavy-duty bra left a pink mark from the underwire. He licked the underside, and Lucy gasped in shock at just how sensitive that area felt. Every other man had dived straight for her nipples, so she never realized the tenderness of the rest of her large breasts. Gray was awakening her body to completely new sensations.

Absentmindedly, her back arched, trying to force her nipples to reach his lips. Gray felt the movement and heard the soft whine that escaped Lucy's tight lips. With a smirk, he obliged her silent begging. Softly, with the flat of his tongue, he licked right over the tensed nipple, feeling that nub press against his taste buds.

Lucy had tried so hard to keep quiet so she could eventually regain dominance in this situation, but feeling Gray lick over her caused her to let out a wanton moan. Then his tongue sharpened, and the tightened tip lapped circles around her pink nipple, pressing into the buoyant flesh, making the entire pink area tense and wrinkle. Chilling his breath slightly, he blew over the moist, sensitive skin.

"Ahhh!" Lucy screamed, shocked at the iciness. She looked down in surprise, and the sly grin on Gray's face angered her for some reason.

He was _toying_ with her! Just when she thought she could manipulate any man with her feminine wiles, it was Gray who had her as a puppet in his hands.

He did not leave her cold and yearning for long. His entire mouth dived down, sucking on the taut nipple. Lucy arched again, and without a conscious thought she put her hand behind his head to yank on him so he would suck more. His fingers held her breast, shaping it just like he shaped his ice, forming it so he could latch on easier. Then he raised his head a little, pulling the teat upward between his lips. Lucy squirmed at the intense sensation, clenching her sheets as if she had to hold on before he lifted all of her up by just his mouth.

Then Gray let go, making the breast jump back down and wiggle. A small, gasping exhale shook out of Lucy's lungs. Before she could scold him for pulling so hard, Gray descended again to the other breast, licking it voraciously, sucking on the sweet skin hard enough to leave a love bruise, and then he bit it softly.

"Ow!" she cried out.

He let go and looked up. "Stop?"

"No, more," she said instantly, only a second later realizing how desperate her voice sounded.

She scolded herself as Gray sucked the bitten breast. She did not want to lose control; she wanted to be the one playing and toying with him. She needed to somehow take control of this situation, get Gray on his back, pleasure him until he begged for more.

Not like this! She was the one crying for more, and that defeated her plans.

Since she dated lots of men and they all ended in failure, she did not want to show Gray just how simple it was to excite her. She did not want him to think she was "easy" or a slut. Her mind was determined to keep strong, to make him really work for it, but her body was dying for his touch and acting on its own. No matter how she pursed her lips together to keep from moaning, or fisted her hand to keep from grasping his skin and yanking him closer on top of her; still, her body moved, twitched, and writhed on the bed while rebellious whimpers escaped.

Then his mouth moved up and latched onto her collarbone again. He lightly bit the skin, then sucked up a bruise.

"Gray," she weakly warned. Leaving hickeys would definitely show to Natsu that she and Gray were intimate, but it would also embarrass her.

Despite her feeble protest, Gray moved up to her neck, nipping, sucking, while his hands drifted down and loosened her skirt. She felt the suction on her neck and moved her head to the side to give him access. She knew she would have tiny bruises all over her body now. He was marking her!

"Come on, Gray," she finally protested. "Stop it."

"Why should I?" he asked, his lips barely leaving her skin. "You were planning this all along, right? Marking one another, seducing each other. So tell me what you want now. What's next on your agenda?" he asked wryly.

Yes, she had calculated her seduction, yet Gray had completely overwhelmed her. Whatever she had planned paled in comparison to what he was doing. Begging for more was like surrendering to his touches, and she was not ready to do that.

Or at least, her brain wasn't. Her body, on the other hand, was shrieking for more. She bit her lips and little harder to hold back that scream.

His hands were like ice, yet when his mouth met her skin, that cold effect made his lips feel hotter, seemingly burning more than Natsu's kisses ever had. Cold, then heat. It was a technique Gray seemed to have perfected. She wondered if he had already dated many girls to practice this clime variant, or if this was simply a natural technique for an ice user.

He slid her skirt down along with the underwear. Slowly, he pulled them to her ankles, tossed them aside, then looked at her fully naked body from a vantage point between her feet. She bashfully covered her breasts when she saw him staring so intensely at her.

Slowly, like a snake slithering up to his prey, Gray slid between her legs, gently parting them as he drew nearer. His hands rubbed along her thighs and up to her womanhood, but they only touched the outer edges, torturously avoiding the smooth pinkness inside. The teasing made Lucy squirm. His hand did a sudden change in direction, back down toward her pussy, as if bypassing it had been a mere mistake. However, again they rubbed thighs, outer lips, everything but the inner parts. She wanted to feel him, aching painfully for some light touch, yet he denied it, rubbing his thumbs along the fuzzy lips but never drifting to where she was moist.

He kissed her calves, the inside of her knee—which earned him a jolt of ticklish shock—then lapped up her thighs. His lips again got to the inner edge of her thigh, right at the wiry hair line. Lucy's body twitched in anticipation, and he heard her breaths quicken. He gazed up with a sly smile, then skipped right over the aching part and began kissing her lower belly.

"Oh, come on," she shouted in frustration. "Please!"

"Please...what?" Gray teased more with a fiendish grin as his lips lowered again, kissing the thigh while avoiding that inner zone.

She whimpered and wiggled under him. His gentleness and slow, deliberate, tantalizing caresses made her lungs gasp and her head spin.

"I know you want it," he said in a jaunty tone, laying kisses up her inner thigh, tickling and teasing without satisfying. "Just say it."

Lucy squirmed under his touches like a wild animal trying to slip away from a trap. She had wanted to ensnare him, yet she felt herself being the one slowly and cautiously tamed. The wild side of Lucy fought that taming hand, but another side of her yearned for it to grasp her, please her, do everything she desired most. She squirmed to escape, and she squirmed to feel more.

Once again, his touch slid up her sexual lips, merely ghosted over her aching center, and skipped right over. She had enough! Even if she had to beg, she needed him now.

"How do you want me to say it?" she mumbled petulantly.

Gray chuckled slyly. "How do you want me to do it?"

She thought about that. Gajeel had called it mere _fucking_ and treated the act just as roughly. Laxus surprised her by calling it _making love_ and treating it a little too gently, as if she was a fragile doll that might break from his touch. Loke used some flowery term like _worshiping upon the altar of Lucy_. Sadly, he never once got on his knees and prayed to that altar. Heathen! Natsu had not really called it anything. "Hey Lucy, let's do it" was usually enough to call her to the bedroom.

There were many terms for the act, and each was unique.

So how did she want it with Gray?

"Make me shiver," she ordered lustily. "Make me cum from your cold touch, then warm me up everywhere until I cum again."

The hissing sneer on Gray's lips proved that hearing her say it that way truly affected him. For just a moment, she thought he might leap on her. Instead, he leaned over her face and kissed her in reward. "Crude, blunt, immensely sexy. I like it! Now that, I can do."

Finally, his hand rubbed right against her, slipping over all the moisture already built up. Her body jerked at finally feeling it, and a cry shuddered out of her lungs. His touch became more purposeful, tracing circles right over her clit, rubbing that pink pearl until Lucy thrashed under him.

"You like that, don't you?" he goaded. "Does it feel good here? Is it sensitive? You're so wet already, I think you're about to cum."

He was right! She was so built up from his earlier teasing that already she felt her mind blanking out. She grabbed his other arm, holding tight to him as her body rocked to his touch. Then Gray made things worse by leaning over and sucking her breast. It shot like a hot spike from her nipple down to her core. Lucy shrieked with wanton abandonment as her walls constricted on him.

"Oh God," she panted as she cursed that he made her cum so easily. Women were _not_ supposed to be this easy to arouse!

He gave her not even a minute to catch her breath before two fingers slid into her, and his thumb kept on at the clit. He watched her thrashing, listened to her moans, and steeled himself to hold back a little longer. All Gray wanted was to mount her, thrust into her, drive himself into a blur of ecstasy, but first he had to conquer her. He did not want to be just another boy toy. He wanted to utterly possess her!

"Gray," she whimpered meekly, finally moaning his name.

Never before had a man touched her in such a manner, not as if she was fragile doll like Laxus had done, not rough and domineering like Gajeel, and not wildly craving like Natsu. Gray's touches evoked something else. They had a completely different feel to them, conveying his emotions. It made her crave more until she felt like she might weep. They were touches that showed he honestly, wholeheartedly, and passionately loved her. It stole away Lucy's breath to feel so much conveyed through touch alone. Words were unnecessary.

Slowly, as another orgasm surged upon her, Lucy felt her shy self emerge, that blushing girl she thought had been destroyed the day her virginity was sundered by a wild dragon slayer who probably did not fully understand what he had taken. No man had yet been able to turn her into this shy character, this frightened little girl, like she was a virgin once more. The feeling of helplessness terrified her, and the defenselessness as she succumbed to his touches thrilled her.

Lucy hid her face as she surrendered to Gray, losing her control completely, becoming a slave to his whims and desperate for more. She muted her mouth as she shrieked at the intensity of a second orgasm, and her entire body jolted at the sensation. Something he did, how he was touching her both inside and outside, made her spray fluid all over his hand. She cried out in shock and horror that she had actually done something like that. Gray looked down at the moist mess, honestly impressed; however, Lucy felt deeply ashamed as she slowly sank on a cloud of ecstasy.

"I never had a girl squirt before," he admitted, slowly removing his fingers and licking up the strongly feminine tasting fluid. "You must have really loved that."

"Shut up," she mumbled tiredly, thoroughly exhausted, far weaker than normal orgasms left her. "Oh God, I don't think I've ever done that before. How embarrassing!"

"But it's sexy." She was barely moving, and for a moment Gray felt concerned. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked tenderly, stroking back her sweaty hair.

She laughed at that. Okay? She was far beyond _okay_.

"Sorry if you need to rest, but I really can't hold back anymore, not after seeing you do that." Gray climbed on top of her body and gazed down into her blushing face. "I love you, Lucy," he whispered honestly, smiling in a way that told her he simply could not help but tell her something so saccharine.

She didn't mind. She realized that she had totally and utterly surrendered to him.

She felt his cock press against her and prepared herself to be entered. However, just as she thought he was about to pierce into her, she thought maybe he had slipped. His shaft ran up her slit, sliding right over her clit and making her grit her teeth at the soft, hot pleasure stroking over her immensely sensitive button. Then he pulled back, pressing a little more against her opening, enough for the nerve endings to feel it, before his flaring head pulled back again and stroked along the length of her sex.

"Oh, come on!" she whined impatiently. "I thought you said you couldn't hold back."

A low chuckle rumbled out of Gray's chest. "Just prepping myself. You're really moist after squirting. I'd hate for all that juice to go to waste."

He slid slowly back up, then hovered over her, gazing down at the flush spread over her entire body and the way her hips rolled up to meet him. She was definitely no stranger to sex, and that thought passed his mind briefly as he saw how she spread her thighs a little more for him. Still...she had not known sex with Gray Fullbuster yet! He simply had to defeat all the other guys in a private battle, fighting memories of them, beating out any comparisons, utterly dominating her desires.

He had to smile as he thought about defeating Natsu in the bedroom.

"All right," he said to warn her, although she looked more than ready for him now, desperate for it, pleading with her twitching body and heated moans.

Slowly, savoring every inch of the journey, he pressed into her. There was a slight hesitance at the entrance as he pushed through firm muscles, then at about halfway in he felt a bit of friction as he reached an area of his cock that had not gotten moist enough. He stopped there before the friction hurt them both, and he pulled back a little.

Lucy whimpered as she felt him retreat before he had fully filled her, but she had also felt the uncomfortable friction. The next thrust was more deliberate, going a little faster and deeper, yet she sensed he was not quite done. With a bit more natural lubricant on him, he pulled back once more, and the third thrust utterly filled her until she felt his balls pressed up against her perineum. Despite herself, it made her scream to be filled so fully.

She could hardly help but do a comparison. Natsu was almost as long, maybe a fraction shorter. Laxus was thicker but painfully so; sex with him had left her spread wide, loose, and sore. Gajeel had piercings that had done amazing things to the inside of her body. However, Gray had the advantage of length, and she wondered if maybe that was why he kept removing his pants all the time. He also had a curve to his cock that let him stroke right over her G-spot. It fit as if a god had sculpted him to slide perfectly into her.

"Are you okay?" he whispered as he watched the tenseness in her brow.

She nodded fast, too afraid that if she tried to speak, only a squawking sound would come out.

He spoke little, keeping quiet to listen to her. The squishy sounds of the thrusting, the slap of skin when he thrust in fast, and her gasping moans at each movement, made it hard for him not to lose control instantly.

The feel of him moving within her so slowly, with such calculated angles at each thrust, was blissful torture. Lucy inhaled in a deep hiss between clenched teeth as Gray slid every inch of himself inside, rubbing right over the spongy inner area that caused stars to burst in her vision, all the way until she felt pressure in the very back wall of her cavity. Suddenly, he held there, pressing against that wall that no other man had managed to hit. She peeked her eyes open and saw that he was resting to regain control of himself. It made her momentarily smug that he was already about to lose control. Then, just as slow and torturous, Gray pulled back. She could finally breathe, yet air was unnecessary. All her body craved was his next thrust.

"Gray, please," she whispered in a whining tone.

Those blue eyes squinted as he smiled down at the way she quivered under him. "What do you want, Lucy?" he taunted seductively, yet thrust in again a little faster and kissed her lips fully before allowing her to answer.

She did not want to beg. She had planned to toy with him, yet here she was being the toy to his desires. It irked her...and enthralled her. Another slow thrust, taking a full ten seconds to slide all the way in, shattered her stubborn pride.

"More," she begged.

Gray chuckled softly. "How much more can I possibly give you? I'm in as deep as I can go." To show her, he thrust in hard, pressing as deeply as possible and holding it there with pained pressure right against her uterus.

"Faster," she amended, panting hard from the force pushing within her.

He increased the speed, setting up a rhythm rather than purely teasing her. "Better?"

She groaned sensually in reply.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled. He balanced himself on one hand, using the other to play with her breast while sucking one nipple. Lucy's whole body shuddered, and her mind began to lose a sense of reality. "Do you like it like this?"

"Yes," she moaned as the trusts filled her. Her breasts bounced from his movements, while his fingers and lips held the nipples in place.

He bit her breast lightly, just enough to scrape teeth over her, and felt her clench inside at that. "Wow, you have quite a powerful grip down there! Don't tell me you do exercises just to strengthen those muscles, too."

"Shut up," she shrieked, totally out of control now.

He grinned at her blushing face. "Say you want me," he panted heavily.

She did not want to say anything. Why was he still toying with her at a time like this, when he had already conquered her? How had this situation completely reversed on her? Yet his touches made her shiver, and his teasing caused her body to crave more.

"Please, Gray!"

"Say it!" he demanded harshly.

She peeked an eye open and saw his sweaty face above her. He was close; she could tell by the tightness in his jaws. She gave in, completely surrendering to the love he was showing her.

"I want you more than anything, Gray."

He smiled in approval and satisfaction. "How do you want this to end?"

She was confused at first until she realized that they had not put on a condom, nor did she have any of her own. She doubted Gray had one since he had not put it on earlier. "I'm on a pill. It's okay," she assured him.

He gave a nod just before his face began to tense up. His thrusts sped up, and she watched as his face sneered, trying to hold back, slowly losing the battle.

"Lucy!" he cried out.

"Almost there," she warned.

Gray tensed all of his stomach muscles to hold back just a little longer. His trusts aimed right for her G-spot, and his hand went down to also rub her clit, bringing out every weapon he had that might overwhelm her one last time.

Lucy felt her hips tighten, her thighs tense up, her toes curl, and the muscles in her lower stomach began to constrict and shiver. She was already exhausted, yet Gray had her so worked up, she could hardly help but be overwhelmed by him. She grabbed him, clawing his shoulders, pulling him tight to her as she clenched hard and shrieked. That was all Gray could handle.

"Oh God, Lucy!" he hissed as he came hard.

She felt deep throbs pulse within her, and stickiness leaked out over her thighs, mixing with the moisture she had squirted earlier. She kept clutching, shivering, her body involuntarily clenching on Gray's cock as her breaths came in ragged gasps. His breathing was slow and heavy, matching hers. He felt so sensitive, he was almost too scared to move. Then Gray rose onto his arms and gazed down at Lucy. His black hair hung in his face, obscuring his weary eyes, yet she saw the tired smile.

"You're mine now," he told her sternly.

She froze, thinking that was an oddly possessive thing to say right after making love, but she no longer cared. She felt utterly weary; all she wanted was to wash the sweat away and sleep in Gray's arms.

As they both walked to the shower to clean up, she realized belatedly that she had done almost nothing special for Gray. She had hoped to ensnare him, and instead she was the one now captive.

He was right. She was his now, wholly and completely.

**End of Chapter 5**

* * *

_A/N: The lyrics from Simon Curtis' "Super Psycho Love" align with the AMV._


	6. Off to Darkened Corners

Chapter 6

**Off to Darkened Corners**

Dawn arrived in Lucy's bedroom like golden streamers gleaming through her light curtains. The blonde laid on her side where she had fallen asleep spooned into Gray's body. She hummed occasionally, dreaming of pleasant things soon to be forgotten with the return to the waking world.

Gray hardly slept that night. Everything about Lucy enthralled him. He spent hours just looking at how the moon shadows drifted over her cheeks. He had listened to every mutter, and he chuckled when she began to snore softly, more like the purr of a kitten than something annoying. He stared at her now, gazing down at his naughty princess, yet she slept like an angel. He carefully moved a strand of hair away from her cheek. Lucy hummed again, and a soft smile tweaked her lips before she fell back into a dream.

"Lucy," Gray breathed, as if her name was a prayer. "I love you more than anything. I'm not going to let your heart suffer ever again." His brow tensed as his determination to protect her solidified. "You're mine now. I won't let that bastard touch you. I'll _kill him_ if he ever makes you cry."

His growl got a little too loud, and Lucy moaned. Gray froze, hoping she would sleep a little longer, wanting to stare at her bare shoulders and the back of her silky white neck just a little more. Alas, that was asking for too much. Lucy rolled onto her back, wiped the sleep from her eyes, and opened them to see Gray smiling down at her.

"Mornin'," she mumbled.

"A very good morning," he declared, then Gray leaned over and greeted her with a kiss.

Lucy laughed and pushed him away. Gray leaned back up with concern.

"Come on," she giggled. "I just woke up. I probably have morning breath."

He sighed and moved aside. Yes, she did have a little morning breath, but he found it charming. Lucy sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head. The sheets fell, exposing her naked body down to the waist. Gray felt a surge at seeing her so angelic in the morning light. Unable to stop himself, he pounced on her, knocking her back onto the pillows.

"Hey!" she pouted, but she saw the starving look in his stormy blue eyes.

"I'm not letting you go yet," he growled, and Gray kissed her hard, crawling on top of her.

* * *

Half an hour later—and another shower—the two finally began putting on clothes. As Lucy adjusted her bra, Gray stared at her skin. It was a shame to hide away all that perfection.

Well, not perfect anymore! Lucy's nipples had red spots from Gray sucking on them so hard. There were two hickeys on her collar and a huge one on the side of her neck, plus smaller pink spots from where he had nipped at her. He lamented that she had finger-sized bruises on her hips from where he had grabbed her so hard, and she kept rubbing out a sore muscle in her inner thigh.

Yet all those subtle signs of sensuality made Gray chuckle smugly. Everyone was going to see at least the one on the neck. If Lucy's blouse dipped to the side, they would see the collar marks, too. He walked around behind her to help latch the bra hooks, caressing her skin as he moved the hair away from the metal snaps.

"Maybe you should wear a turtleneck," Gray suggested. "With all these marks on you, everyone in Fairy Tail will know who you belong to."

"Belong to?" she laughed, and she pointed a finger right at him. "Well, _you_ better keep your shirt on or everyone will see those scratches I put on your shoulders."

His eyes widened in surprise. Had she really marked him, too? He went to a mirror and looked at his back. Sure enough, both shoulders had four welts from Lucy's nails dragging over his skin, as well as many halfmoon-shaped marks on his biceps where she had tensed up while grabbing him and dug her nails in.

"Let them see!" he smiled, feeling proud of the marks she left for him. He pressed Lucy until her back was against a wall. She looked shocked, thinking he was ready for yet another round.

"Gray...sheesh," she smirked. "Don't you ever get tired?"

"How can I when I'm around you?" he whispered. He leaned over to the hickey on her neck and licked it. Lucy moaned at how sensitive the love bruise felt. "You have no idea how hard it'll be to stay in the guild today," he said softly into her ear. Then he licked the shell around and down to her earlobe, giving it a soft bite that made Lucy's knees tremble. "I have to sit there and look at you, thinking about how erotic you looked last night, wanting more, still able to feel the inside of you."

"Gray!" she warned. His talk was making her moist all over again.

"Tonight, I won't hold back."

"Wait, you were holding back?" she shouted in shock.

"Hell yes! Otherwise, someone would have called the police with how loudly you'd be screaming. I'm gonna thrust into you so slowly, you'll plead for more," he whispered seductively, letting his hands drift over her sensitive collar. "I'll make you squeal over and over. I'll lick you up until all of your juice is in my mouth. Such sweet juice, too! I wanna taste more...and more."

"Oh God, Gray," she groaned, remembering how good it felt to have him lick her.

"I'll lick you up everywhere. I'll start at your feet," he smiled, and his toe tapped against her bare foot. "I'll lick the bottom of your soles, suck each toe, kiss the top of your foot where you're most ticklish." He grinned when Lucy made a strangled noise, and he saw how her face was blushing just from his words. So, she liked dirty talk, huh? "I'll lick up your legs, your knees, your thighs. But I'll skip that _other_ part for now. I'll lick your stomach instead, and thrust my tongue into your navel." Lucy's fingers clenched onto him as she imagined it. "I'll lick your armpits, even. All of you, every bit of skin. Your breasts, of course! Oh yes, I'll lick those good. I'll nip on those perky buds until you shriek, then suck on them, sucking and sucking, and maybe bite. Do you like when I bite you, Lucy?"

Lucy's thighs tightened. She hated how his talk was so descriptive, she could almost feel it.

"Then I'll move down to that place I avoided. I'll kiss your ass, Lucy," he chuckled. "I'll lick your asshole, too. Maybe I can stick my tongue up there."

"No, Gray!" she shivered. No man had ever done that. In fact, none wanted anal sex at all. They never even suggested it. Lucy had never been taken like that. She imagined it now, though, and her butt muscles trembled as her fantasies went wild.

"What, do you not want me to enter from the back door?" Gray asked in amusement. "Has no one ever done that? Is your ass still virgin, Lucy?"

"Sh-shut up!" she said, flushing darkly.

"I'll need lube for that, but I'd love to break in your ass."

"Gray!"

"I'll do your cunt first, make you scream my name, make you cum so hard you squirt again. I loved that!" he snarled passionately. "Then I'm gonna bang into your ass so hard, so fast, so rough, you won't be able to sit for two days."

Lucy's thighs squeezed together as the moistness became too noticeable. Gray was barely touching her, yet she could feel his hands everywhere...and his mouth...and his tongue...and his cock.

Gray looked deep into her eyes, nuzzled his nose against hers, then tilted his head, teasing her lips by barely touching them with his. Lucy tried to press in for more, but Gray backed away.

"Time to head to the guild," he said with a devilish glint in his eyes, and he tugged his shirt on as he stepped out of the bedroom.

Lucy remained rooted in a dreamy stupor, breathless and craving his touches. Why was he not touching her? Why was he not speaking those dirty promises that made her so aroused? When she finally opened her eyes, Gray was already in the living room.

"Gray, you idiot!" Lucy screamed, and she heard his smug chuckle from the other room. "Dammit," she mumbled, looking down at where her panties had soaked completely through, leaving her thighs a little wet. "Stupid Gray. Now I have to change my underwear again."

* * *

When the two walked into the guild, no one seemed too surprised. They were teammates, so entering together was not shocking. Lucy took a seat at the counter, sitting to Natsu's left. The dragon slayer jolted out of his thoughts and smiled when he saw her.

"Hey Lucy!" he said brightly. Then Gray took a seat on the other side of her, and Natsu grumbled, "Oh...it's you, droopy-eyes."

Instead of the usual sneer and quick temper to fight, Gray merely glanced over with weary happiness in his face. Even when looking at his rival, the ice mage could not stop from smiling. He had to admit, he felt a little cocky. He sincerely hoped Natsu looked a little closer at Lucy and saw the hickey on her neck. He wanted that flame-brain to _know_ who Lucy belonged to now.

Lucy glanced over to Natsu and smiled in a friendly way. "Morning, Natsu." It was a curt greeting, then she leaned over to Gray and smiled up into his face. "What would you like to drink, dear?"

Mirajane was wiping glasses, but she heard the term of endearment even over the chaos of the guild hall. "Dear?" She swooped in fast with huge eyes practically sparkling with hearts. "My, my! Lucy, is Gray suddenly _dear_ to you?"

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. He saw Lucy blush, stutter out some excuses, before finally admitting that she and Gray were dating. The arrogant smirk on Gray's face showed that _dating_ was putting it mildly. Inside the dragon slayer's heart, emotions rumbled and flamed. He sat by Lucy's side, yet her eyes were solely on Gray. The way the ice mage smiled at her, the glances they gave one another, the smell...

Natsu's blood ran cold at the smell on Lucy...Gray's smell. It was all over her, infecting that sweet scent like a toxin and making Natsu feel sick. He finally noticed the purplish-red mark on her neck, and as she leaned over to whisper something into Gray's ear, her blouse dipped low enough to expose another mark on her chest.

He could hardly stand the thought of Gray having her, touching her, leaving marks like that. Just the thought of Gray being close to her drove Natsu into a jealous frenzy, but to make marks like that...for Lucy to smell the way she did...

Bile shot up into Natsu's throat. He rose fast, ignoring the chatter and Mirajane's nosy inquiries. The last thing he wanted was to hear "all the juicy details." He marched over to a table in the corner of the guild, but he stopped before reaching it and swallowed hard to keep from screaming. Every instinct in his body said to challenge Gray, kick the shit out of him, nab Lucy, and take her far away from all this, someplace where no man could gaze upon her and be tempted.

Every other boyfriend Lucy had since their breakup, Natsu felt annoyance, angry that Lucy could move on so suddenly, but otherwise he could control himself. If she was happy, that was good. He reluctantly realized that he had no excuse to feel jealous, since he had been the one to call it off.

Natsu had regretted breaking up with her within mere days of doing it. He did not realize how good sex was with her until he suddenly had nothing but his own hand. He thought they would easily go back to how things used to be, yet Lucy had avoided him for weeks. That annoyed him. He began to realize that her very presence was calming. Although he thought love was supposed to be eternally fiery, perhaps settling down and finding your partner to be "comfortable" rather than "sultry" was also an aspect of love.

How was he supposed to know these things, anyway? If there was some almighty instruction manual on love, he had never heard of it.

He had made up his mind to apologize and ask her out again, but she began to date Laxus. That stunned Natsu, so he backed away to keep an eye on her, hoping to sort out why she would date someone else so quickly. When those two broke up, Natsu waited a week just in case Lucy was heartbroken, and he decided he would try again at an all-guilds Christmas party. During that celebration, Lucy and Hibiki hooked up, although it was a brief fling. Then she cycled through local boys, four of them, none lasting more than two weeks, before dating Gajeel, then Sting, and then Loke. Each one made Natsu increasingly angry. He thought what he and Lucy had was special, yet now she took men home on a whim. He not only hated the boyfriends, but he found himself furious at her as well.

Did she have to abandon her feelings so easily? Did he really mean nothing to her?

Natsu finally sat down hard and folded his leg over his knee with a dark glower, fighting the temptation to set the whole building on fire just so he could get rid of that damnable stench of Lucy and Gray's aromas mixing together. He stared hard at Gray, who must have sensed the eyes on his back. The ice mage glanced around and saw his rival glaring with brimming hatred.

Good! Natsu needed to realize that he screwed up when he broke Lucy's heart. Now _he_ was the one to apply cool and soothing balm to the burning heartache.

Meanwhile, Lucy rested her hand on her chin, glancing slyly at the stares of rivalry. Really, this was too good to ask for! Natsu looked positively infuriated. Still, she wanted to punish him just a little more. She wanted Natsu to truly learn his lesson. Toying with a girl's emotions, taking her virginity and casting her aside like garbage, was something only bastards did.

She wanted Natsu to realize, Gray was not a bastard for gaining Lucy's affections. It was he himself who was the bastard for stomping on her love.

"Mira," she called over. "Do you have any dried blue apricots?"

"Blue apricots? That's a bizarre thing to want." Mirajane suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. She leaned over the bar and right into Lucy's ear. "Don't tell me that's...food cravings!"

Lucy blushed at that. "N-No!" she insisted. She had only asked for something she knew the guild had, yet it would not be readily available. She didn't even like blue apricots! "I'll go look for them myself, since you're busy. Gray, come help me."

She pulled him away, tugging him to follow her into the dark back room where Mirajane stored the guild's food supplies. Lucy began to shut the door, but she purposely left it a little open. She smirked as she looked at Gray, ready to use him to punish Natsu a little more.

"What is it we're getting again?" he asked, glancing at shadowy shelves of weird preserves.

She sashayed forward. "Doesn't matter. I just wanted to get away from the crowd. All those eyes watching us, it was making me too self-conscious."

Gray stopped searching and glanced back down at her. The way Lucy chewed on her bottom lip in a coquettish way, it was obvious what she was truly after. "Haven't had enough, eh?"

"It's your fault." She walked up to him and pressed her body against his. "You're the one who said all those things this morning. I can't get it out of my head...and I don't want to wait until tonight."

Gray reached around her and yanked her hips tight against him. "We probably shouldn't do it here, though."

"It doesn't have to be sex. You're probably still tired. Just...just satisfy me a bit, just for now."

Gray smirked at her starving face. "Satisfy you, huh? That's rather demanding of you."

"Are you not going to?"

"Oh _hell_ yes, I am!"

He dived down to her mouth and kissed her hard. Lucy grabbed his hands and dragged them off her hips and up to her breasts. Gray chuckled into the deep kiss at her sneakiness as he squeezed the soft mounds.

"Oh God, Gray," she moaned.

"Not too loudly," he hushed.

"Sorry, it just feels so _good_," she groaned heatedly. "Damn, I love the way you touch me."

"Hush, silly," he chuckled. "So, how much do you want?"

"Just touch me," she moaned, sitting on a pile of rice sacks and tugging her skirt up her thighs. "I love to feel your cold fingers inside me."

Gray hissed as her lusty words affected him. He was almost tempted to give her more, yet she was right: his body was still weary, and he wanted to save some energy for that night.

As Gray moved her panties to the side and felt her out, Lucy tried to be quiet, but still she aimed a few wanton moans to be loud enough for anyone to hear, always followed by Gray hushing her. Privately, she loved the idea that the whole guild, especially Natsu, would be able to hear her.

Sure enough, in the main hall, Mirajane blushed at the strained whimpers and occasional high moans. Charle flew up and covered Wendy's ears. Macao began to choke on his beer while the perverted side of the old man made him squirm in his seat. Even Cana stopped her drinking and glanced at the hallway leading to the back room. Mirajane laughed awkwardly in apology to the crowd.

"I'll...um...go see what those to are up to," she offered. As Mirajane hurried away, the demon aura within darkened her face. "And I'll flay those two if they ruin my food."

Mirajane worried about Lucy playing around with Natsu's emotions. This was obviously done on purpose, and it angered the white-haired bartender that Lucy would go this far, tarnishing her reputation within the guild, all to get back at Natsu. Even if Lucy felt like she had been wronged, this was going too far.

Natsu sat on his bench with his face buried in his hands. This was worse than anything. He could imagine Lucy's face as he heard the way she struggled to keep quiet. He remembered how beautiful she looked in the throes of ecstasy. He missed that face...so much. He missed the way she cried out his name.

"Oh, Gray!"

Tears slipped down his eyes, yet he kept his head buried to hide away from the pain and jealousy.

Happy patted him comfortingly on the shoulder, then he leaned over to try and look at his best friend's face. "Natsu?" he whispered in worry.

Softly, Natsu grumbled, "Just go away." A small sniffle slipped out, and Natsu sneered that he had failed to hold these emotions back.

Happy looked troubled, but Elfman approached them. In gruff consolation, he said, "It's fine, Natsu. It's manly to feel a little jealous."

Happy nodded in agreement. "At least Lucy is happy. That's good, right, Natsu?"

Natsu didn't give a fuck if she was happy anymore! He didn't want her to be happy with that stripping bastard. He wanted her to be happy with _him_. He wanted to be the only person who could make her happy. No one else was worthy of loving Lucy in this sort of way.

She was his! His alone!

If not him...then no one!

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Tell Me How I Mesmerize You

Chapter 7

**Tell Me How I Mesmerize You**

Lucy woke up slowly and saw Gray already getting dressed. She rolled over in bed, wrapping the sheet around her naked body, and gazed at him tugging on the shirt he almost never wore.

"Going somewhere?" she asked seductively.

"Emergency call," he answered in a hurry. "A village in the mountains is about to be crushed by a glacier. I'm supposed to meet Lyon there as soon as possible."

Lucy pouted and flopped back onto her pillow. "I guess I'd just be in the way."

Gray paused in his rush and knelt beside the bed to smile at her. "You'd definitely distract me. Do you even realize how sexy you look in a parka?"

She laughed and slapped his arm. "A parka? Seriously, Gray?"

"Besides, it'll be dangerous and freezing. People are dying up there. I want you to stay here where it's warm. I'll be back in a couple days."

"You better be," she pouted. "My birthday's coming up."

Gray leaned over and kissed her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Then he rose and pulled his coat on. "Stay out of mischief while I'm gone."

"No flirting with girls," she called back.

Gray paused in the doorway and looked back with a serious expression. "Stay away from Natsu."

"Silly," she laughed. "Go rescue those villagers. I'll make some hotpot when you come back. Maybe something special for dessert," she said with a wink.

Gray rushed back in, tackled her on the bed, kissed her passionately, and grabbed her breasts. Lucy gasped and arched her back, only to feel him pull away.

"One for the road," he smirked.

"Meanie!" she huffed, but Gray left in a hurry. "Grab and go, huh?"

Eventually, Lucy convinced herself to leave the warmth of the bed, dress, and go to the guild hall. She ordered a breakfast protein shake, part of a diet she had been following so she could lose some weight before her birthday. Mirajane brought the shake over with a charming smile.

"No Gray today? Maybe you're proving to be too much for the poor boy."

Lucy laughed wearily as she stirred a straw in the shake. "Trust me, it's the other way around."

Mirajane sighed dreamily. "You two are cute together, even if you act like rabbits in heat. Are you happy with him?"

Lucy thought about the past few days. "Yeah," she smiled with hot cheeks. "I don't want to mess up with him, but..." She closed her mouth, afraid to say too much.

Mirajane pouted and leaned in closer to whisper. "Lucy, I know you're planning something against Natsu. Personally, I think that's a bit vindictive of you. I know you were heartbroken, but it's been six months. You should let it go. I don't want to see you mess things up with Gray. He's a good guy, but he has quite a temper if you truly provoke him."

She laughed softly. "Gray wouldn't get mad at me."

Mirajane's eyes saddened. "You haven't known Gray as long as I have. Just be nicer to Natsu. Let the past go." Her eyes glanced to the door. "Speak of the Devil!" she muttered, and instantly her normal smile was back. "Good morning, Natsu!"

He said nothing, giving only a grunt instead. However, Happy flew up to the bar and ordered tuna juice.

Mirajane quickly leaned back in to Lucy. "Nothing vindictive, got it?"

"I'll be good," Lucy sighed. "Maybe I'll take a mission. Going on a mission with Natsu might cheer him up."

"Good idea," Mirajane smiled, then she went off to fix more drinks.

While Natsu was greeted by insults from Gajeel, Lucy walked over to the mission board. She glanced over them, humming as she scanned each, then finally picked one she felt was perfect. Not too hard, but just hard enough, nearby, with a great reward.

"Hey Natsu," she called out cheerfully. "Wanna do a mission?"

Happy's face lit up. "Ooh, a mission with Lucy!"

The dragon slayer's eyes slid over to her in a caustic glare. "If you mean with that nudist popsicle, I'm not in the mood."

"No, just you and me this time. It's nearby, so we don't even have to take transportation." She showed him the flier. Indeed, it was only two towns away. They could walk there in a few hours and be back before supper.

"Why not do this with Gray?" he asked bitterly.

"He's away on another mission. I wanted to do something with you today," she smiled. "Come on, Natsu. I want us to still be friends. We're still a team, right? You, me, Erza, Gray, and Happy."

"Yeah," he mumbled. "It'd be nice to do something together. It's been a while since we did a mission, just us."

"Right! So what do you say?"

Natsu looked over the flier again. Although he really did not feel like doing much of anything, he realized that this was way too difficult for Lucy alone. Together, it would be simple. Plus, she smelled really good today.

"Yeah, let's do it," he grinned, trying to return to his usual happy self. For Lucy's sake, even though he felt depressed, he would do this much. Besides, with the ice bastard out of the way, maybe something might happen. Maybe she might remember how much fun they had together. Maybe...he could convince her to break up with Gray! As he watched Lucy confirm the mission with Mirajane, his eyes gazed over her hips and to her ass, thinking about how to woo her without upsetting her.

Happy frowned. "Natsu's looking a little dark again. I think I'll stay here."

"All the better," Natsu said to himself.

Natsu still had to eat breakfast, and Lucy gossiped with Levy while she finished her shake. They were discussing the latest chapter of Lucy's book when Lisanna approached with a timid twisting of her hands.

"Um, Lucy, can I talk to you?"

"Sure," the blonde smiled.

Lisanna glanced at Levy and Gajeel. "Alone?"

Although Lucy was confused, she stood and follow Lisanna to the infirmary where they were away from the noise of the guild hall.

"Mira-nee told me you're going on a mission with Natsu," she said, getting right to the issue. "I know it's not my place to say anything, but I think that's a really bad idea."

Lucy sighed quietly. "Do you think he's still in love with me or something?"

"About that...I really don't know," Lisanna admitted sadly. "I'm worried about him. He's...different. He hasn't been the same since you two broke up."

"Neither of us have been the same," Lucy admitted. "We're trying to still be friends, but it's not always easy after you've been _more_ than friends."

Lisanna looked away uncomfortably. "I just think being alone together right now is a bad idea. Natsu is depressed and angry, which isn't like him at all. I'm unsure how he'd react to situations, considering you...well...I don't mean to be rude," she assured quickly, "but you've been pretty mean to Natsu lately. Not directly mean, but little things, especially how you flaunt being with Gray."

"You're just like your sister," Lucy mumbled. "Look, I know I've been a little rough on Natsu, but it's for his own good. That boy has no clue how to treat women. When we were dating...I don't want to get into anything graphic, but he really had no idea how to treat a lady. Then when he got bored, he completely ignored the fact that I have feelings, too. I loved Natsu very deeply." Lucy dropped her head in sadness. "To lose the man you love so much that you'd consider marrying him, to have him suddenly brush you aside because 'it's not fun anymore' really, really hurts. He needs to be taught that women have feelings. It's like teaching a dog that sniffing crotches is wrong. Okay, bad analogy," she admitted, "but it's like training a pet. You take away what they want, smack their nose, and make them learn. It takes a long time to train something that simply doesn't know that what it's doing is wrong, but it's the duty of the person who loves that pet, that way the pet doesn't hurt other people."

Lisanna drew back in shock and anger. "Natsu is _not_ a pet!"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. Sure, Natsu is a little immature, but he means well. Boys make mistakes in relationships. Girls do, too. I think you both are making mistakes right now. You and Natsu are my friends. I don't want to see either of you hurt."

"Believe me, this is for Natsu's own good," Lucy insisted. "I'm doing all this for his sake, and for the sake of his future girlfriends...possibly including you, Lisanna." She watched as the white-haired girl blushed. "Don't act surprised. The whole guild has been talking for months that, now that Natsu broke up with me, you'll probably be his next girl. By how you're blushing," Lucy chuckled, "you've thought about that, too. Do you really want to be played, like how Natsu played me? Do you want to give everything to him, and by winter he's bored with you and dumps you for the next girl?"

Lisanna pouted and looked away. "Natsu wouldn't do that."

"He did it to me," Lucy reasoned. "Lisanna." She took the girl's tiny hands. "You're my friend, too. I don't want to see you get hurt by Natsu. No girl deserves to be treated like that. I'm going to make him learn that lesson."

"I still don't like it," Lisanna mumbled.

"Well, you can hate me now, but when Natsu gets together with you and realizes he should treat you like a person and not just a sex toy, you can thank me then." In the next room, there was a crash followed by a _whoosh_ sound. "Ah, Natsu must be finished eating. I better drag him out before he burns the place down." She smiled at Lisanna, then sashayed out of the infirmary. "Time to go train the dog some more."

Lisanna pouted deeply as she watch Lucy leave. After the blonde was gone, Lisanna let a little bit of anger enter her face. "I don't like seeing anyone treat Natsu like a pet."

* * *

Lucy and Natsu walked down the road connecting Magnolia to the neighboring town. Natsu was quiet as he stole glances over at Lucy. She was mesmerizing! Although dating her was not as exciting as he had thought it would be, being near her was thrilling. She oozed sexuality, and it always affected him.

Then he looked away and scolded himself. She had moved on. She had Gray. She asked him on this mission to rebuild trust and strengthen their friendship.

But was that really why she invited him? Maybe she was getting bored of Gray. Maybe their relationship was doomed to be brief, just like her relationships with Laxus, Gajeel, and Loke had all ending soon. If he did not make his move while he had a chance, he might lose her again.

However, she was still someone else's girl!

So what? Did that really matter? She was his girl first, and she would be his girl last. Even if he had to steal her away from that droopy-eyed snowman, Natsu wanted Lucy back!

All's fair in love and war, and when it came to Natsu and Gray, everything was a battle between them! Natsu smiled to himself as he thought how Lucy was simply their newest prize to fight over. He was not going to lose to that stripper!

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy finally said after an hour of silence. "Are you okay with me dating Gray?"

Natsu felt his stomach twist at the question. There was no way he could answer that honestly. "It's not my place to tell you who to date," he said bitterly.

"Well, obviously you don't like it."

Natsu looked in the opposite direction of her. "It doesn't matter what I like. It's your life."

Softly, with a tiny smile, Lucy whispered, "You were once part of that life."

Natsu gulped hard. Was it his imagination, or was that Lucy's flirting voice? A few more minutes passed while he argued with himself on if he should tell her what he really felt, or just keep quiet to regain her trust.

"Hold on, I have a rock in my shoe," Lucy said, and she hobbled off from the road to a clump of low grass.

Natsu followed her, standing with his arms folded while she sat and removed her boot. As she pulled the shoe off, her short skirt shifted, and Natsu saw her pink underwear. He looked away fast, but he doubted Lucy could tell that she was giving a panty shot. Slowly, he shifted his eyes back over to her, sweeping up her legs, over those slender thighs, up higher and higher, until he saw the V where her legs met her belly. Lucy shook the boot, making her breasts jiggle. Then she dug into the shoe as she heard something still rattling around inside. She had not noticed her skirt yet.

Natsu felt his heart racing. That area...he remembered how it smelled, how hot it felt to touch, and how moist it got as he tasted it. Unconsciously, he licked his lips, remembering those nights when that area belonged to him.

He turned away as those memories aroused him. He had to think about something else, and fast, or this would only trouble him more. They had a long way to go until the next town, and there was only one tree in view that he could hide behind, claiming to take a dump while actually jerking off fast.

"Maaaaan, it's hot!" Lucy complained, and she collapsed backward, her boot still off. "Can we just rest a little? My legs hurt."

Natsu looked back around. They had not walked that far. Bitterly, he wondered if she was weary because _someone_ had tired her out last night. He almost wanted to demand that they press on purely out of spite, to teach her that if she wanted to take missions, she should not let that ice bastard touch her so often. However, when he gazed at Lucy lying on the grass, her knees up, her panties _really_ showing now, Natsu felt that tugging in his gut again, and a rush of blood went directly to his crotch. He sat down purely to hide his arousal.

"It's so quiet here," Lucy sighed, gazing up at the clouds. "Not a soul around. You'd think we were in the middle of nowhere, not on a main road."

"It's the middle of the week," Natsu reasoned. "Not a lot of people travel on a day like this."

"I guess so. It's just...quiet. You can hear the wind in the grass." She looked over to where Natsu sat close by her, staring down into her face. "It's a bit romantic."

His brow tightened. That _had_ to be flirting...right? He needed to test it out. "Are you upset that Gray isn't here to enjoy it with you?" Way too angry! He sounded like a bitter ex-boyfriend, not someone testing out the emotions of a friend.

"Nah, I'm just glad I can enjoy it with you."

Natsu's heart raced faster. "Lucy..."

"Do you ever miss me sometimes, Natsu?"

He wondered if he really ought to answer that.

"Don't you think about me?" she asked, pouting a little at his silence.

The worry in her eyes convinced Natsu to tell her the truth. "Every night, Lucy."

She smiled, then she reached up and lightly caressed his cheek. "Sometimes I wish we could go back. There were so many mistakes we made."

"Yeah," he agreed, gazing over her body. "I...I want you back." Natsu began to lean down, resting on an elbow as he lowered closer to her face. He paused just shy of her lips, looked again into her eyes, and saw her patiently waiting for him. She was not pushing him away. She wanted him!

Natsu pressed his lips against her, and immediately he realized just how much he missed something so simple as a kiss. No girl kissed like Lucy! Well, not that he had kissed any other girls besides her, but Lucy kissed so softly, yet she could be passionate, too.

"Lucy," he moaned. Natsu pressed himself against her body, almost climbing on top of her, except they were still near the road. Although it was so quiet they could have heard a cat approaching, he still felt a little bashful that they were out in the open.

"Did you miss kissing me, Natsu?" Lucy asked, looking up at the clouds as he got lost in arousal.

"Yeah," he growled, caught up in the kiss.

"Did you miss holding me?"

His hands slid over her arms, up to her collar, and down her chest, feeling the softness of her breasts. "Definitely!"

"What else, Natsu? What did you miss?"

"I missed these!" and he squeezed her breasts hard.

Despite herself, Lucy gasped and arched on the grass. She could feel the heat of his fingertips even through her shirt and bra, like his hands were ready to burn away her clothes. Then his lips went over her cheek, down her chin, and to her neck. Lucy hissed as those hot lips sucked on her skin.

"Whoa, not too much," she warned, and she pushed him away.

Natsu frowned as he looked down at her. It was not even enough to leave a mark, and he really wanted to mark her. He wanted Gray to know that Lucy was his again. So why had she stopped him? Did she not want Gray to know? Did she plan on keeping this a secret? Like hell Natsu would do that!

Lucy sat up and wiped the wet spot off her neck. "Silly, we still have a mission to do. What would the client think if we showed up and I had hickeys all over me?"

"Then afterward?" he asked fast.

She chuckled at his eagerness and tapped his nose. "Don't destroy anything. If you cost us our reward money again, I'll be very upset."

Natsu grinned with excitement. "Deal."

"Good. Then let's get going." She rose and smoothed down her skirt.

Natsu began to stand up, but he realized he had a serious problem. "I...um...need to take a dump." He raced off toward that one lone tree.

Lucy smirked slyly to herself. She was not naïve. She had been on enough missions with Natsu and Gray to know what they meant when they said it _that_ way. "Take your time. I still have to put my shoe on," she called out. She watched him until he disappeared behind the large oak tree. "Good dog," she whispered to herself.

* * *

It was late afternoon, the mission went flawlessly, and Lucy was humming with the bag of money in her hands. Natsu kept glancing at the land around them. He needed to find some place where he could hide away with Lucy. It had to be out of view, and it needed to be secluded enough so Lucy could make those sexy screams of hers without holding back...because Natsu sure as hell wanted to make her moan his name!

He was so riled up with sexual tension, he almost did not hear Lucy speaking.

"Huh? What?" he asked, only catching the last few words.

She laughed softly at his preoccupied face. "I said I'm hot, so let's rest over there." She pointed to a farmer's shed that Natsu had deemed not big enough for what he wanted. Then again, doing it in a confined space might be erotic, too.

They walked off the road and over a field of clovers to the shed. It was empty inside, since the field was left to fallow, but it was out of the sun. Lucy sighed as she felt the coolness of the shade. Living with Gray, she was becoming spoiled by coolness and intolerant to heat. She tugged on her blouse and wiped at the sweat.

Natsu slammed the door of the shed shut and stalked toward her with glaring eyes and a smug smile. If she would go this far, pulling them off the road instead of waiting until dark when they could be hidden in shadows, it must mean Lucy was as horny as him. She must want him as desperately as he wanted her. She must be _aching_ to be filled up, just as he ached every night to feel her sheathing him again.

Natsu did not wait for small talk. He grabbed Lucy so fast, she squeaked in shock. His lips were instantly on hers, and he pressed her up against the wall of the shed. Lucy flinched at the splinters in that old wooden wall.

"Natsu, be more gentle," she warned.

His mouth violently shut her up, covering her lips to keep her from ruining this moment with boring talking. Gentle? When was he ever gentle?

He grabbed her breasts, filling his hands with them, remembering their shape and softness. Then his thumbs found her nipples, and he tweaked them.

"Ah!" Lucy gasped. "Natsu..."

He shuddered at hearing her moan his name like that. Yes, it should be _his_ name on her lips, not that ice bastard's! It should be _he_ who made her moan, no one else! And no one—no other man in this world—was going to take her away from him again. Dragons liked to have a horde of treasure, and for Natsu, Lucy was the greatest treasure of all. He would never let another man have her. She was _his_! He _owned_ her! He had marked her, and a dragon never surrendered its property.

"You really missed me, didn't you?" Lucy asked with a small laugh.

Natsu ignored it. He yanked her blouse down so hard, if the fabric had not been stretchy to fit over her breasts, it might have ripped.

"Tell me, Natsu," she moaned, arching her back at his touches. "Talk dirty to me. Tell me how I mesmerize you. What did you miss?"

He forgot she liked dirty talk. Natsu was never good at this—words simply were not his specialty—but he felt like now, he could sing a whole song about what he missed.

"I miss your smell."

"But you smell me every day."

"No...this smell. The smell when you're wet down here." His hand slid up her skirt and rubbed against her panties.

Lucy gasped and began to reach over to push his hand aside, but she stiffened up to prevent herself from shoving him away too fast. "What else?" she asked instead.

"I miss how your body wiggles under my fingers. I miss hearing you moan my name."

"Natsu," she shuddered and his fingers began to move her panties to the side.

"I miss...thrusting into you!" he groaned, and as he said it, he rammed him fingers inside.

Lucy cried out at the roughness, but those burning fingers knew where to aim already. Natsu chuckled as he saw her face instantly go into shock when he found that place inside her and curled his fingers to stroke it again and again.

"What...what else?" she asked with a clenched throat to hold back moans from the hot fingers.

Natsu could not even think anymore. His body pressed against her to ease the ache in his groin just enough so he could keep feeling inside her. "Everything, Lucy. I miss everything."

Lucy felt like she was about to completely lose control, and so soon! Then she realized Natsu had stopped grasping her breast. His other hand was now down undoing his pants. Suddenly, she shoved him away so hard, a fingernail nicked her inner wall as he was forced out. It hurt, but she kept Natsu away at arm's length.

The dragon slayer gaped in confusion. He was so worked up, he wanted her right now, right here. Lucy's head was down, so he could not see her face. He did not know what was wrong, why she would stop him after getting this far, but he did not want to wait.

"If it's a problem, I'll pay for a hotel," he offered desperately. His cock was getting painful with need.

Lucy chuckled softly to herself. "The dog is so desperate, it whines," she mumbled. Then she flashed her eyes up at him. "You're really despicable, Natsu. Doing all this to your best friend's girlfriend? Really, how low can you get?"

Natsu stood there dumbfounded. "But...you let me."

"I was testing you, Natsu. You failed. You still think of women as nothing more than a hole to stick your cock into."

"That's not true!" he shouted, although right at that moment, all he could think about was thrusting into her to ease his ache.

"You have no clue what being a gentleman means. Even that playboy Loke didn't come on to me while I was dating other men."

"You were leading me on!" he yelled angrily. "Why...why would you let me kiss you and do all that...why...if you didn't want me back..._why?_" he screamed in fury.

Lucy counted off on her fingers. "You miss kissing me. You miss holding me. You miss my breasts. You miss my smell. You miss how I squirm. You miss how I moan. You miss thrusting into me. You miss...everything," she smirked. "You don't miss me as a person, Natsu. You don't miss my wit. You don't miss my company. You don't miss the fun we had. Oh, wait, that's right," she said ironically. "You said it wasn't fun anymore. So I guess I'm not fun, I'm not important enough for you to actually try to work things out, at least talk to me, tell me what dissatisfied you. I kiss good and fuck good, so you can steal me away from a nakama just because you got a little horny. Is that about right?"

Natsu's fist flew out and smashed into the wall of the shed, shattering the wood to splinters. "Dammit, Lucy!"

"I dangled what you wanted in front of you, purely to deny you. You're like a dog salivating at the piece of bacon hanging in front of your nose, so taking that bacon away teaches the dog that it's been bad. And you, Natsu have been a very bad boy."

He sneered in fury. "This is one thing I hated about dating you. You think of me as nothing but a pet. Do you treat Gray like a pet, too?"

"Gray is a much better man than you will ever be. He treats me like a lady, not like some toy to be humped." She took in the view of Natsu snarling in anger. It was _so_ worth waiting six months to see him like that, as angry at her for denying him as she had been at being rejected. "Do you regret it now, Natsu? Try to learn from this lesson. Don't play around with women. Don't forget that we have feelings, too. We feel sadness. We feel frustration. We feel anger. We feel...vindictive!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, and the flames on his body simmered in a low glow, lighting up the shed in amber and crimson flickers. Lucy swallowed hard, thrilled to see that dark side of him again. When Natsu looked like that, he was almost too sexy to turn down.

Suddenly, he struck forward, and his mouth went to her neck like a snake to its prey. Lucy did not have time to react or push him away. Natsu bit her, then sucked viciously hard. Lucy cried out and shivered. Those lips burned so hotly, it was like a branding iron to her skin. When Natsu pulled back, there was a pink oval on the side of her neck, the mark of the Salamander.

"You're mine!" he snarled, then Natsu turned away and ran out of the shed.

Lucy touched her neck. Damn! She was being so careful to make sure Natsu left no marks on her, then he went and did that. How was she supposed to explain this hickey to Gray?

Her face dropped a little. "Sorry about that, Gray. I won't do it ever again. Just to teach him his lesson...this is the only time. I'm...so sorry!"

She felt immensely guilty as she fixed her clothes and straightened her hair. She touched the hickey again. How could she hide something like that? It was summer, turtlenecks were suspicious, she could not wear a scarf in the heat, and she had no choker necklace that was wide enough. Makeup would have to work until she could get Wendy to heal the bruise.

Still, she was happy. Her revenge was succeeding. If Natsu was even a little bit smart, he would walk away from this realizing he had to rethink how he treated women. For his sake, for Lisanna's sake, and for the sake of any future women who entered Natsu's life, Lucy honestly hoped this lesson sank in.

* * *

That night, Lucy sat alone, feeling conflicted. Despite using a lot of makeup to cover the hickey, her fingers still kept drifting up to it as memories troubled her. Although she let Natsu kiss her in order to deny him, she had forgotten how fiery his kisses were. The way he touched her was fierce and thrilling. Just thinking back on it made her heart pound.

Not that she wanted Natsu back! Hell no! She wanted to be happy with Gray. She truly loved him, but that afternoon—such infidelity for the sake of training Natsu to respect women—now left her conflicted. Even if he was that childish and inconsiderate—face it, Natsu was not known for maturity or thinking things through—her heart still felt the pang of yearning while he was touching her.

She set aside her book and dropped her head. What exactly were her feelings for Natsu? She had been so focused on vengeance, she never stopped to wonder how she honestly felt. Did she hate him? No...not completely. She liked him enough to date all those men and go through all this trouble, just to teach him that he had made a mistake when he did not take his girlfriend's feelings into consideration. Did she love him? Maybe a small part of her did, perhaps always would, but she definitely did not want to go back into a relationship with him, not unless he truly matured after this harsh lesson.

Did she miss him?

God, yes!

That wild dragon side of Natsu still haunted her dreams, nighttime fantasies filled with his roughness. When he made love, he ravaged her, ignoring protests, ignoring complaints, thoroughly conquering her body and burning her soul.

Lucy thought about those times now. Without realizing it, her hand had drifted away from the hickey and to her breast, recalling the way Natsu touched her, how his hot mouth felt on her nipples. She really wished Gray could be there right now to chase away those memories, because with the ache of the hickey on her neck and the recent reawakening of her body from Natsu's burning fingers, she found herself flushed and yearning.

Lucy put away her story and decided to take a bath. She quickly washed her hair while the bathtub filled. She added a little oil that smelled like sandalwood and ambergris. Then she eased into the steaming water.

She could hardly help but think about the heat, and a hot body smothering her. This aroma, the unique earthy musk of ambergris and the smoky incense quality of sandalwood, always reminded her of Natsu. As she eased down, the hot water tingled her feminine area. Then slowly, it went over her stomach, up to her breasts, like wet hands caressing over her body. The water enveloped her in boiling warmth.

Again, Lucy's hand drifted over her breasts. She looked at how the mounds floated in the water. The heat relaxed her nipples, making them soft again. She played with them, tugging them with a hazy, glazed look in her eyes of sensual sleepiness, and she willfully slipped into a fantasy. She looked at how the cold air made those pink nubs harden, but the hot water tried to soften them again. Then, with fantasies playing in her head and the smell of smoke and musk all around her, one hand plunged into the water to dive into that subaquatic cave between her legs.

As her fingers found the tiny button that made her want to moan, she thought of burning hot hands touching her. She recalled how Natsu had touched her that afternoon, and as she delved into those memories, she did the same thing as him, plunging her finger inside.

"Ahn!" she whispered, arching as her fingers ventured in. "Natsu, I really wish you never left me."

That was the truth! She had loved him so deeply that she was in denial for a long time when he broke up with her. She thought it must be a bad joke, or maybe a dare. Perhaps he said something like that because he was in trouble and he wanted to distance himself from her, like the hero in a drama. However, none of that was the case. He simply dumped her, leaving her with her emotions ignored and her lust unfulfilled.

Her fingers curled, trying to do the same thing Natsu could do. It was never as good doing it herself. She could never reach just right. Still, she felt the soft walls sucking her in, and she shifted her hips in the tub to get a better angle. Her eyes closed as she let her imagination run wild. The smell, the heat, these sensual touches, all reminded her of those passionate months. Her breathing came heavier. Her fingers plunged faster until her wrist began to hurt from the awkward angle. Lucy grabbed her breast rougher while her fingers pounded in.

Suddenly, her elbow hit a bottle on the side of the bathtub, spilling a lavender-mint oil in so thickly, it shoved aside the smoke and musk. Lucy jolted, grabbed the bottle with her slippery hand, and righted it, but not before over half the oil dumped into the bath.

This smell...peppermint, like a cold winter day, and lavender, a cooling smell that softened the reds and oranges of the sandalwood and ambergris into shades of blues and purples. This smell was like Gray, and as the water lost its initial heat, the chill and this smell overwhelmed her senses.

She settled back into the tub, and her fingers went back to their play. Fiery memories simmered to embers, and more recent memories swelling into her. The way Gray touched her was pure magic. Natsu might have the roughness she craved, but Gray had the gentle touch that truly sent her rocketing!

"Gray...ooooh Gray," she moaned

However, the cooler water was making it harder to loosen up, and the smell was truly overpowering. She reluctantly stopped, pulled the plug on the tub, and let some water drain out. Then she turned the faucet back onto just hot water. It refilled the tub, diluting the scented oils until both peppermint and sandalwood blended together along with the cold bath water and fresh hot water.

Hot and cold. Summer and winter. If she was a truly spoiled girl, she might try to get both boys to fall for her at the same time. That was a silly idea...but what an erotic fantasy! If she could get Natsu and Gray to work together—no chance in hell that would happen—she would love to have both the raw passion Natsu gave, and the tender attentiveness Gray showed her. To have both boys touching her in their unique ways, to have Gray as well as Natsu...oh, it was _so_ very wrong! And so very hot!

Her legs began to thrash in the water, seeking something to keep her anchored as her spirit shot into the heavens. She left off touching her breasts as her body craved more and more. One hand plunged in and out, the other sought out her clit, rubbing it in relentless circles. Lucy gasped at the intensity.

"Yes...yes, like that," she keen to no one there, just the two imaginary men. "Slowly in and out for Gray, fast and crazy touching for Natsu. Yes...oh God, yes!"

Just as she thought that perhaps she could finally get herself off with her own hands, she heard the door in the other room unlock. Lucy flailed, turned off the water, and gasped as she tried to stop her body from its near-orgasm.

"Lucy?" came Gray's voice. "Sorry for just barging in. Are you home?"

"In the bathroom," she called out, a hand on her chest as her heart pounded painfully hard. "You're back early."

"It wasn't as hard as they thought it would be. That, or Lyon and I are just that good, haha! What did you do while I was gone?"

"Oh, not much," she said, calming her breath. "Just trained a puppy."

"Huh? A puppy?"

Her heart was aching in guilt for almost being caught masturbating. Her body still craved to be touched, but she could not do that now. Dammit, Gray had the worst timing!

Or maybe...the best!

With a smirk, Lucy got out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her. Then she stepped out still wet.

"I bought cookies on the way home, if you..." He turned to look at her and froze. Still wet, with a blend of fragrances he could not sort out, she was breathtaking, completely mesmerizing. "Damn," he whispered in awe.

Lucy walked right up to him, then let the towel drop moistly to the floor. Gray's throat hitched as he was overwhelmed by the beauty of her flawless skin.

"Cookies can wait," she said in a low, seductive voice. "I have a better dessert for you."

"Lucy..." He looked aroused but slightly reluctant. "I really am tired from the mission."

"Oh?" she asked coyly. She turned around flippantly and began to walk away. "If you don't want any, then I'll be in the bedroom easing my ache."

He stomped after her, grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and pressed her up against the wall. "You're a cruel woman, you know that!"

"Does that mean you're a masochist?" she teased.

He laughed brusquely and sniffed her skin. "Maybe so. Even if it hurts me, there's no way I can turn down the girl I love."

He kissed her hard and grasped her breasts. For a few seconds, the urgency in his body and roughness of his hands made Lucy think this was just like how Natsu had grabbed her, and the similarity shocked her. Then Gray's emotions cooled off, and his fingers became gentle, caressing her in a way that made her yearn for more, almost to the point of wanting to beg him to be rougher again.

Gray blew icy air against her neck. His lips began to drift down to her throat. Suddenly, Lucy remembered the hickey. If Gray saw it...

Fear of discovery jolted through her as she felt his lips drawing closer. She panicked, pulled away, and fled into the bedroom, escaping Gray before he could see. She gave a quick look in the mirror. The bath had washed off the makeup. That purple mark was there for all to see.

Guilt again made her sick to her stomach. Why had she let things with Natsu get that far? Teasing him to train him was one thing, but enjoying it and letting him touch her like that was despicable. Now that she had time to get over the memories, she felt only shame. She was little better than a whore, using her body like that! Never again! She loved Gray, and she would never tempt Natsu or any man like that again. She needed to have more respect for her own body.

She heard Gray stomping in after her, eager at the opportunity of a chase, and her guilt overwhelmed her.

"Turn off the lights," she ordered.

Gray chuckled as he flipped the light switch. She heard the rustling of fabric as he undressed. "You know I like it better with the lights on," he mentioned.

"It's erotic with them off, too," she said, trying to sound seductive rather than shameful. "Then I can't see what you're about to do. It's like being blindfolded."

"So I'll blindfold you."

"But this way..." She walked up to him in the dark, dropped to her knees silently, and licked his aroused cock. "...you can't see what I'm about to do, either."

Gray gasped that she was moving this fast. As she began to suck on him in the dark, he stroked her head and chuckled at such eagerness. "I leave for half a day and you end up like this! I should go on more missions."

"Aww, but then I'm lonely," she complained with a pout, seductively rising up in a way so her body slithered against his.

"Hmm...don't want that to happen," he said, hissing a little as her moist skin rubbed over his burning erection. "I wouldn't want you to find some other guy to ease your aches."

Lucy froze, and she was really glad the darkness hid her face, because she knew she looked horrified right now. "Oh?" she asked, trying to keep her voice sultry. "What would you do if I did something like that?"

"Kill whoever dared to touch you," he answered, pressing her back until she collapsed onto the bed.

Her blood ran cold at his answer. "You'd...kill him?"

"And then I'd have to seriously punish you, my little vixen," he said with a light laugh. She wondered if he was really joking or not. "So don't ever do that. If you have an ache, just wait for me. I'll ease it...and I'll make sure you're too worn out to want another lover."

Lucy was still silent in shock and a bit of horror. What if Natsu talked about what happened that afternoon? What if he shouted at her about being such a tease? If Gray found out, he would beat Natsu to a pulp. She doubted—sincerely _hoped_, really—that he would never actually try to kill Natsu, but still...

She really messed up!

She should have listened to Mirajane and Lisanna. Although she felt that teaching Natsu not to play around with girls was the right thing to do, she had used herself as the training tool. She regretted that now. As Gray's fingers slid over her skin like an ice skater over a pond, the guilt built up more and more. She felt a tear drip from her eyes.

She didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Gray!

That just meant she had to earn his love. She had to be the best girlfriend ever, completely loyal.

"I will never cheat on you like that, Gray," she swore wholeheartedly.

He laughed and nuzzled her neck, right where Natsu had left his mark. "I know, silly."

Then he nipped her there, the same place. Lucy felt a shameful rush of relief as he sucked on her skin. Now when Gray saw the bruise there in the morning, he would think it was his own mark. Yet Gray's trust in her pained Lucy's heart. She did not want to mess this up. She spread her legs for him, hoping that she could be the best lover for him, not just with her body, but with her whole soul.

**End of Chapter 7**

* * *

_A/N: A big thank you to Girl-in-the-tiger-kimono for staying up to midnight chatting with me and helping me to improve this chapter._


	8. I Love You and Despise You

Chapter 8

**I Love You and Despise You**

Gray decided to let Lucy sleep in. After all, it had been an exhausting night, and she had the love bruises to prove it. He lightly touched one on her neck, oddly a lot bigger than he thought it would be. He realized that anyone would be able to see a mark like that, and although he wanted the whole world to know Lucy was his, he figured that she probably needed time to cover up something like that.

He found his clothes, dressed, and slipped out silently to walk into the nearly empty street. The sun had just risen, chill still clung to the air, and silence reigned for this magical moment before the noise and heat of the day began. It was the time of day Gray loved: silent, cold, filled with hopes.

He went to the guild hall, where Mirajane had just started up a pot of coffee. She smiled and wordlessly handed him a steaming cup. He supposed he looked as worn out as he felt, and Mirajane knew better than to ask about the dark circles under his eyes. The blush on her cheeks and twinkle in her eyes showed that she knew perfectly well what happened.

Only a few people were in the building that early. Nab was once again at the mission board seeking that perfect request he would never find. Macao and Wakaba...seriously, it was like those two old guys never left the building.

Gray settled in a corner to watch the crowd slowly entering and to think. The previous night, when Lucy asked what he would do if she cheated on him, she had a odd pitch to her voice. Gray had said nothing about it at the time, lost in the moment of passion, but it troubled him now.

Which man could it be? Laxus was already with another woman, if rumors could be believed. Gajeel and Levy were pretty close, so probably not him. Loke had not showed his face since the breakup, but it was highly possible that he appeared out of nowhere to Lucy. Gray had to admit, he hated the fact that Loke could open his gate anywhere, at any time, and although he was the one who called it off with Lucy, there was never a precise reason given as to _why_ the playboy dumped her.

And then...there was Natsu.

Would Lucy actually go back to that hotheaded dragon slayer? Just the thought of it chilled Gray's blood. If that flame-brain dared to touch her, he would beat the living hell out of him, nakama or not!

But what if Lucy went back willingly?

No! He refused to believe that it was even possible. Lucy was known to flirt around from time to time, but she was not the sort of woman who would cheat on a person. Besides, Gray kept her so busy at night, she should be too sore to have an affair on the side.

But if she did...

His mind instantly shut down at the thought of it. Something, an internal defense mechanism perhaps, did not allow him to think about such a horrible possibility. Still...it worried Gray. Things seemed to be perfect with Lucy. She was fun, smart, and strong; she did not mind his stripping habit, he felt comfortable talking with her, and she was damn good in bed. Really, it was perfect.

Too perfect.

And that troubled Gray.

* * *

_"I wouldn't want you to find some other guy to ease your aches."_

_"What would you do if I did something like that?"_

_"Kill whoever dared to touch you."_

_"You'd...kill him?"_

_"And then I'd have to seriously punish you, my little vixen. So don't ever do that."_

* * *

He had said those words so lightly, almost jokingly, but he meant it in all fatalistic seriousness. If Lucy ever cheated on him, he would probably go insane from the bitter feeling of betrayal. He probably really would be tempted to kill a person in the heat of passion and throes of despair.

These dark worries were interrupted by a man in a suit standing right in front of him, appearing out of nowhere. Either Loke had just opened his gate, or Gray really was not paying attention to his surroundings. The distrust Gray felt still showed in his face when he looked up and glared at the Celestial Spirit.

"Do you have a problem, Loke?" he asked caustically.

The Lion sat down at the table. "I thought you should know, Lucy summoned me yesterday."

Gray's fears surged in him. That forbidden area of his mind, where darkness hid just barely out of view, threatened to crack open. "She...called you out? Why?" he demanded, shivering slightly, wondering if he really wanted to hear about it. As his fist tightened, his knuckles cracked.

"For a fight," Loke told him, seeing the barely-suppressed rage. "She went on a mission yesterday. Did she tell you about it?"

Gray's tension eased up. Just for a mission, eh? Using her spirit keys for something like that was normal, after all. "She...no, she didn't say anything about it. We...um...didn't really have time to talk." He recalled she said something about training a puppy, but after that it was all sex.

"The enemy was only a little troubling, but I realized something in the brief time that I was fighting. I thought you should know." Loke looked guilty for snitching, but he also appeared to be worried. "Natsu was with her. I noticed you weren't around. I came back here after the mission, and Mira said you were away. Now, it's none of my business, but Lucy is my master. I love her, and I worry about her. I want her happiness, but I'm worried about who she's more happy with: you...or Natsu?"

Gray shook his head. It didn't make sense! A fight? A mission? And with Natsu? "Lucy said nothing about a mission, and I told her that morning to stay away from Natsu. She wouldn't have gone behind my back like that. And what's this about you being in love with her when you're the one who broke up with her?" he snapped peevishly.

"Look, that's not the issue here," Loke insisted. "I broke up with Lucy for a reason. I saw it early on, but obviously you haven't noticed it yet. It's the same reason Laxus broke up with her, and why Gajeel left her. She uses people. Right now, she's either using you or she's using Natsu, I don't know which, but I don't like it."

"I don't want to hear you lying and badmouthing my girlfriend," Gray warned.

Mirajane came over hesitantly. "Sorry, I overheard a little." She looked over to Gray. "Lucy really did go on a mission yesterday," she told him, "and Natsu went with her."

Gray scoffed at that. "That bastard probably just stalked her."

Mirajane shook her head. "She asked him to go. She said she wanted to still be friends with Natsu. I don't think it's something to get worried about, Loke." She patted the Celestial Spirit's back. "Lucy and Natsu can still be friends and go on missions, right?"

Loke assured her, "That's fine, if that's all they're doing. I just thought it was a little weird, that's all."

"Then let it drop," Gray growled. He and Lucy needed a serious talk, if she really was sneaking behind his back and doing missions with other men.

"Gray," Loke said, looking at him with a bit of worry, "don't get mad at people before you hear them out completely. I'm just trying to warn you. Lucy is using her boyfriends in a plot for revenge. Why do you think I left her when I love her so much?"

Gray sprang from his chair and leaned over the table, knocking over his coffee cup. An ice knife was in his hands, and the glittering white blade pressed against Loke's throat. "Say those words again and I will send you back to the Spirit World the _hard way_."

"Gray!"

He pulled back at Lucy's yell and saw her standing in the guild doorway. Instantly, he backed off and let the knife vanish into twinkling bits of ice. Lucy walked over to them and sat by Gray's side.

"Why are you threatening one of my Spirits?" she asked.

Gray sneered over at Loke. How could this playboy say he loved her? How dare he claim that when he was accusing Lucy of such horrible, shameful things.

"He was talking shit about you. Sorry if it pissed me off a bit."

She sighed and glared over at Loke. "Leave...now! Before I force-close your gate."

Loke rose from the table and looked at those two. This was wrong, all wrong! He could see the possessiveness in Gray's face, and Lucy looked mad as hell, yet fear was in her eyes along with the anger. Loke closed his eyes and shook his head. He had known enough humans in his existence to see the signs. He just sincerely hoped that when this psychotic, twisted love ended, Lucy would call upon him to protect her from the rage of both Gray and Natsu.

"Loke, this is an order," she said sternly. "Don't come out again until I summon you."

He nodded in understanding. She wanted to hide her sins. Fine! Gray was a smart guy. He was probably starting to figure it out anyway.

"I'll be going then," he muttered. "Be careful, Lucy. You too, Gray." Then Loke vanished in a golden flash.

Lucy sighed. It was bad enough that she had rushed here as soon as she woke up, worried what might happen if Natsu got to Gray first and told him about yesterday. Now she had to worry about Loke, too. Loke, who figured her out in such a short period of time, could appear to Gray anywhere, at any time.

All she wanted was for this thing with Gray to work out, to have a little fun in her life after six months of depressing hell, yet her past deeds kept coming up to haunt her.

"A protein shake, Lucy?" Mirajane asked after a few moments of tense silence.

"Ah...yeah, thanks." While the bartender left to fetch her breakfast, Lucy looked over to Gray. "Look, I..."

"Is he right?" Gray demanded angrily.

Lucy flinched back at the harsh tone. "I don't know what he said," she pointed out.

"He said you went on a mission with Natsu. You didn't say anything about it last night."

"We didn't really _talk_ last night," she muttered with a blush.

"I already warned you, I don't want you being near Natsu," Gray insisted sternly.

"Look, I was just trying to be friendly with him," she lied, feeling bitterness in her stomach.

"I don't like it, okay!" he snapped.

Lucy backed down at the shout, and a few people in the guild looked over in worry. The fierceness in Gray's eyes worried her.

"Okay," she whispered, shivering a little. "I'll stay away from him."

He nodded, trusting her to keep her word. Then the anger flowed away. "I'm sorry," Gray muttered, realizing he was being a real jerk about this. "I just don't trust Natsu."

Lucy weaved her hands around his arm and hugged it while resting her chin on his shoulder. "Do you trust me?"

He smiled down into those huge, brown eyes and stroked her golden head. "Of course I do." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Do you forgive me?"

"You should always forgive the ones you love," she smiled.

He rubbed his nose against hers, but still refrained from kissing her in public. "I don't deserve you."

"Too bad, you're stuck with me," she teased, sneaking a kiss to his cheek and instantly blushing for doing that much in the middle of the guild.

The breakfast shake arrived, and Gray got more coffee to replace the cup he knocked over. The guild had already forgotten about the little argument between Gray and Loke. Morning brought more members. Laughter and shouts filled the hall. Lucy waved excitedly to Levy, then she leaned over and whispered to Gray to point out the red mark on the side of her friend's neck.

"Much like your mark," he whispered back, feeling smug when she blushed brightly.

Lucy's heart plummeted a little when he pointed it out. She had hurried to the guild so fast, she forgot to cover the purplish-red mark. The weight of not telling him how she originally got that hickey churned her stomach.

Eventually, Natsu entered the guild hall, but this time without Happy. He looked haggard, as if he had been out all night, and the darkness under his eyes showed lack of sleep. Lucy watched him, trying not to make it obvious. Luckily, Natsu walked straight to the bar, got a drink, and went to the mission board. Lucy still waited in tense anticipation. There was no way he would let yesterday go without at least some mention.

Natsu apparently did not pick a mission for the day. He sat across the room, but his eyes were firmly on her. Every time she glanced over to him, those dark green eyes were narrow and piercing. Gray might teasingly call Natsu _Squinty Eyes_, but those eyes could strike terror into anyone when filled with hate like that. She tried not to look over too often. Those eyes terrified her and thrilled her. They were eyes that threatened revenge and promised seduction. She began to shiver under the intensity of his stare.

She was ready to tempt Gray into going back home with her, using sex once again as an excuse, anything to escape the inevitable confrontation. However, before she could pull his attention away from Elfman, pink hair loomed over her. Natsu glared down at Lucy, then shifted his eyes to Gray. They both looked up with varying expressions of fear and loathing.

"You have a lot of nerve," he seethed.

Gray leaped up and slammed his hands on the table as he leaned over into the dragon slayer's face. "Ya got a problem, squinty-eyes?"

"Yeah, in fact, I do."

"Natsu..." Lucy gasped in warning.

"You're with the girl I love, droopy-eyes."

The anger from earlier, hearing Loke declare that he still had feelings for Lucy, surged once more. Instead of a knife, Gray punched Natsu in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. Lucy gasped, and Levy tried to pull her out of the way of the impending fight.

"She's my girlfriend now, asshole!" Gray bellowed. "You keep your hands off of her."

"Oh really?" Natsu laughed, wiping some blood off from his nose. "Is that what she wants, though?"

Lucy pulled away from Levy and walked up beside Gray to face the dragon slayer solidly. "I told you yesterday, Natsu. Gray is my boyfriend, so just give up already. Learn your lesson, learn to treat women with more respect, and leave me alone."

"Leave you alone?" Gray questioned, and he nearly leaped at Natsu. "What the hell did you do to her yesterday, you pervert?"

"Gray," Lucy warned, holding him back. "I cleared it up already. Natsu, I don't need to tell you again. I love Gray, not you."

"You're lying!" the dragon slayer sneered. "You do love me. Deep down inside, you will always belong to me. Even if you don't realize it, you're mine. I marked you, right..." He looked to the bruise on her neck and saw it had a different shape. Natsu's teeth clenched. In soft words brimming with disgust, he sneered, "That's not my mark."

Lucy touched her neck in self-consciousness. "Because I'm not yours, Natsu."

"Wrong, Lucy. You will always be my treasure, and I will hoard you. You'll be my woman again...whether you want it or not."

The guild fell silent at such vicious words.

Elfman softly warned, "Natsu, that's not manly."

"I don't care!" Natsu sneered. "I don't care what you think, and I don't care what Lucy claims, and I sure as hell don't give a fuck about what that stripper thinks."

Gray stomped up to Natsu, glaring right into his eyes. "Touch her, and I swear I will kill you."

Mirajane gasped at the threat. "Gray! Don't!"

Natsu smirked up at him. "She's going to come back to me some day, and I'll laugh my ass off at you."

"Hey!" Lucy shouted. "What do you think I am, some prize to fight over?"

Both boys looked a little guilty. They had both thought something like that at some point.

"I'm no one's property. I decide who I want to love." She reached up and caressed Gray's cheek; he smiled haughtily at her affection. "Gray is the man I picked. You need to grow up and accept that, Natsu."

Around them, the guild began to mutter. Natsu glared from side to side as he heard all the whispers clearly.

"She's right, she's not a trophy."

"You can't force someone to love you."

"Shouldn't have broken her heart in the first place."

"At least she finally settled down with one guy."

"They're a cute couple, Gray and Lucy."

"Good for her, standing up to him like that!"

"Men are such idiots."

"You lost your chance, Natsu."

Natsu shook his head wildly. "Wrong! You're all_ wrong! _She's_ mine!_"

With an enraged shout, both of his fists swung down. Gray yanked Lucy out of the way, but their aim was just behind the two, to the table where they had been sitting. Those flaming fists slammed into the table, crushing it into splinters set on fire. Lucy hid behind Gray, trembling at the madness in Natsu's face, and he held his arm out to block her protectively from the raging dragon slayer. Natsu stood there, hunched over the demolished table, panting hard at the outburst. Then his face swung over to the blonde. She felt as if her heart had stopped in terror.

"Lucy," the dragon slayer said in fatalistic softness and a fiery gleam in his eyes. "I love you..." Then his face mutated into something hideous with pure hatred. "...and _despise_ you!"

She gulped hard and hid a little more behind Gray. The ice wizard felt her clinging hands shivering. If they were not in the middle of the guild, he probably really would beat Natsu into a coma just for scaring Lucy like this.

Finally, Makarov stepped up to stop the confrontation. "Natsu, Gray, Lucy." All three looked over at the tiny man. "Go home, all of you. And Natsu..."

"Fuck you!" the dragon slayer roared. "Fuck all of you!" He ran out of the guild hall with tears in his eyes.

Lucy silently watched him go. She realized that this was what she had wanted all along, to humiliate Natsu, to turn him down in front of everyone and let him experience the heartache she had felt the day he dumped her in front of all of her friends. She had succeeded. Her revenge worked precisely according to plan.

She should feel happy...but she didn't! She had treated Natsu as selfishly as he treated her.

In the end, she was no different than him.

Gray took Lucy's hand and pulled her out of the guild. She stumbled along numbly. Natsu's words of hatred rang in her ears. No one had ever yelled at her like that before, let alone a friend she cared for deeply.

As they walked toward Gray's house, Lucy looked up to the ice wizard. She hated that she used him for this. Natsu could have blown everything, and there was no guarantee that he would never mention that mission and what really happened. She would either have to explain it to Gray, or live with the fear of exposure every day of her life.

"I'm sorry," she whispered almost too quietly to be heard over the noise of the city.

Gray squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about it. Natsu's a hothead. It's not your fault."

Her eyes dropped. She meant that she was sorry she had betrayed Gray, and sorry she did not have the courage to tell him the truth yet. She would, though. She had to clear up all of this. Even if it led to them breaking up, she had to come clean with the truth.

Just...not today.

**End of Chapter 8**

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_A/N: The GrayLu youtube video "Super Psycho Love" is one year old today. Moonlessnight126 has received over 47,000 hits...probably a hundred them are mine, haha! You can see the video at **youtu. be/bxk1LwjcJ10** (take out the space) and leave her a message thanking her for inspiring me to write this fanfic based on her outstanding anime music video._


	9. Bedroom Eyes to Those Before Me

_A/N: I humbly prostrate myself before everyone for taking an unexpected hiatus from this story. To be honest, these next few chapters intimidate the hell out of me. I feel inadequate as a writer to create them in the awesome way they are portrayed in the original AMV...and in my own perverted head. Please be patient. (Some nice reviews can help my low self-esteem issues, too.)_

* * *

Chapter 9

**Bedroom Eyes to Those Before Me**

Gray and Lucy laughed in her home as they drank wine and playfully touched one another, never so physically as to hint at sex, but enough to tantalize and tease, then back away for more alcohol. Lucy felt light after such a tense few days, terrified that Natsu might say something about her actions on their mission together. Luckily, he had not shown up in the guild since then. She did not know where he was, nor did she care at the moment. The boy had issues, and she sincerely hoped he was working through them.

"Ya know what I've never tried?" Gray said unsteadily, tipsy but still drinking. "Fuckin' an ass."

"I've fucked an ass," Lucy said, and Gray gawked at her. She giggled. "I slept with Natsu."

Gray was just drunk enough to find that hilarious, and they leaned against one another in giggles. "Nah, I mean doin' it anal. We should totally try it some day."

"How about on my birthday?" she suggested. "You can _break me in_ then. My ass is virgin, after all."

"'Zat so?" he slurred. He reached around to rub her soft backside mounds. "Mmm, a virgin ass...all mine. I can break you in, make you squeal," he said in a low, delicious threat. "Get my cock all filthy with your ass."

Lucy moaned at the thought of it. It sounded so wrong, so dirty...so hot!

"I'm not sure if I want to wait two whole days until your birthday." Once again, his hands rubbed to entice her, moving up off the tush, over her hips, and sliding up to her breasts, only to pull back before she got too carried away. "However, I suppose I'll need supplies to try something like that, which I don't have." He rose unsteadily from the couch and grabbed hold of the table as the world went spinning for a moment. "Wow, I drank a lot," he laughed, then walked over to where he had thrown off his pants.

Lucy pouted as she watched him pulling on his discarded clothes. "Leaving already? You know, you could stay the night." She tried to give him her most seductive gaze, sweeping up over his abs, firm pectorals, and licking her lips as she finally made eye contact.

"Immensely tempting, but I have some special things to pick up in Hargeon Town tomorrow."

"Oh?" she smirked. "Could it be a present for my birthday?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out," he chuckled. "I'll need to sleep off this hangover, so I probably won't be back until late tomorrow. I'll see you on your birthday. Be good while I'm gone."

"I'm always good," she said seductively.

"Don't I know it!" he chortled, glancing over her svelte body. "But really, if I stay, we both know what we'll do, and I won't wake up in time to catch the train. Sweet dreams, Lucy."

"Good night, Gray. Safe travel."

He gave her one last kiss and a pat on the rump. "Save it a little longer for me," he said with a wink. "Oh, and while I'm gone...don't touch yourself."

Lucy was momentarily confused.

"I don't want you to pleasure yourself. Only I can do that. Got it? I want you to _crave_ me when I get back."

"I'm craving you right now, Gray," she smirked.

"Yeah, but...I want you moist at just the thought of me coming back home to you. So don't touch yourself."

She shook her head at such possessive behavior, but she decided to humor him. "Same goes to you, then."

"My own hands are nowhere near as delicate as yours," he said lustfully. "I think I'd go insane if I couldn't have your touch."

She ran her finger slowly along his jawline. "Then I'm gonna make you psychotic. I'll have you _beg_ for it, Gray."

"Oh God," he moaned, and he grabbed her hand to suck on that teasing finger. "I really do need to go or else I'm gonna fuck you right into the wall. Your neighbors didn't like it the last time we tried that."

"They didn't, but I did."

"I could tell!" Gray gave her one final kiss on the lips. "I really love you, Lucy. Good night."

Before he could tempt himself more, Gray turned and left out of the apartment building. The summer night helped his mind to clear from the sleepiness of alcohol, leaving Gray giddy and feeling like he could sing to the world. As he walked unsteadily down the empty streets, he laughed softly to himself, wildly in love. He could hardly imagine how miserable his life must have been before Lucy entered it. So alone! He couldn't go back to a life like that. He couldn't even begin to imagine something so depressing. He wanted her by his side forever.

She really was intoxicating, maddening, thrilling...

And he was trapped in her web.

Gray decided on a detour to the guild first. If he was going to Hargeon Town anyway, perhaps he could do a mission along the way, earn some money, and take Lucy to a truly exquisite restaurant for her birthday. Fine wine, savory food, a violinist playing love songs, all set to candlelight was the perfect romantic settle to give her the gift he had waiting in the port town.

He entered in good spirits, waving to Cana but turning down a drinking contest as he headed to the mission board. However, he noticed Happy slumped at the bar with a glass of tuna juice. It was unusual to see the blue Exceed looking so gloomy. Privately, Gray wondered if maybe he had heard the rumors going around about Charle and Pantherlily. Mirajane was trying to cheer Happy up, so out of curiosity and a bit of worry—Happy was his teammate, after all—Gray listened in.

"He's just not himself," the Exceed told the pretty white-haired bartender. "Natsu gets cranky sometimes, even grumpy, maybe angry if it's about Gray..."

The ice mage huffed at that.

"...but never like this. He's...scary. His eyes...they aren't the same. He keeps muttering to himself. When I try to talk to him, he screams at me. He...he..." Happy sniffled as tears welled into his huge eyes. "He tried to hit me! Natsu has never done that, not on purpose. He's really, really scary."

Mirajane stroked his blue fur. "That doesn't sounds safe at all. You can sleep at our house. Lisanna will like that. Hopefully Natsu will calm down."

Gray picked a flier from the mission board. As he gave it to Mirajane, he patted Happy's head. "Natsu's probably going through a crisis of puberty or something," he said. "Don't let it get to you."

"But...but he growls, and he yells at nothing, and he makes weird noises in the bedroom."

Gray's and Mira's eyes met at that, and both blushed at what Happy most likely meant. "Yep...puberty," Gray muttered. "Give him some space."

"Gray," Happy pouted. "Natsu really hates you. Not like before. He..." Happy looked away with shame. "I shouldn't tattle."

Mira patted his blue head. "You're not tattling, you're warning."

Happy nodded, only slightly reassured. "A few times, he's said he wants to...to...to kill you. He sounded serious this time. It wasn't his normal 'I'm gonna kill that stripper' way of saying it. And...and he says bad things about Lucy. I really don't like when he says things like that."

Gray was fine hearing that Natsu wanted a fight to the death with him, but hearing a threat toward Lucy made all the muscles in his body instantly tense up. He swung a glance to Mirajane, and her eyes were also filled with uncertainty.

"Dammit, that bastard," Gray sneered. "If he touches her..." He did not want to respond with yet another death threat and scare Happy even more, so he held back his anger. "Mira, I have to leave tomorrow and won't be back until late. Please have someone look after Lucy."

She nodded firmly. "Right!"

Gray silently cursed that he had to leave now. For a moment, he seriously considered canceling the trip, even if it meant Lucy would not get her birthday present. However, he doubted someone like Natsu would actually hurt Lucy. He was an idiotic flame-brain, but he was not the sort of person who hurt friends. Putting his trust into that protective side of Natsu's personality, Gray left back home. Still, something nagged the back of his mind. Just what sort of bad things did Natsu say? He should have asked Happy more questions, if only to alleviate his fears.

Mirajane had the sense to ask more, but not until Gray was gone. She had her own bad suspicions about where this psychotic love triangle was heading. "What does Natsu say about Lucy?"

Happy rested his head against the bar counter next to his tuna juice. "He says she's still in love with him, and he says she really wants him back, and he's gonna get her back and make her so happy she'll stay. It sounds good, but then he starts to scream that he'll lock her away. I don't like the sound of that at all. Then he locks the bedroom door on me and says 'Lucy, oh God, Lucy' like he used to do when they were dating. He smiled at me once, but it was a scary smile, and he said 'Lucy still kisses as good as ever.' Then he kept saying things I didn't understand about how she feels wet and soft. I don't get it, but I didn't like his smile. His eyes were scary."

Mirajane covered her mouth. She was thankful Gray had not heard that. "She still...kisses and touches...with Natsu?" she whispered in broken phrases of dread. "Oh dear." She looked to the door where Gray had gone out. When Gray found out about Lucy and Natsu...this was not going to end well. No matter how things turned out, an explosive confrontation was inevitable.

* * *

Back in Natsu's house, the dragon slayer fitfully tried to sleep. However, every time he began to doze off, Lucy's face haunted him. He woke with a jolt, then rolled over and tried to sleep again.

"Get out of my head," he growled, tossing a pillow over his face. "Just get out of my head!"

He knew she would haunt him tonight, just like many other nights. Natsu leaped out of bed and walked around the house, lighting the night with only a flame from his hand.

"Happy?" he called out, listening and sniffing. "Oi, are you back yet, Happy?"

He heard nothing but the songs of crickets. He returned to his bedroom, reassured that he was alone. He put on some music. It was always easier to do this sort of thing when he could escape in a song.

_Something lately drives me crazy,_  
_Has to do with how you make me_  
_Struggle to get your attention,_  
_Calling you brings apprehension._  
_Text from you and sex from you_  
_Are things that are not so uncommon._  
_Flirt with you, you're all about it._  
_Tell me why I feel unwanted._

The heavy bass pounded through his head as Natsu stripped off his pants and underwear before collapsing into bed. A spit on the palm of his hand, and that was it. He stroked himself fast, eager to get it over with. He hated the way his hand felt. It was too harsh. Now that he knew what a woman felt like inside, that softness and moist heat, it was the only thing that could truly satisfy him.

Yet he had tossed her aside because he thought she wasn't as fun as a girlfriend should be. What an idiot!

"Lucy," he moaned softly at the first few long, fast strokes.

Natsu pulled out a picture of her he kept by his bed. He held it close to his face, staring at her brown eyes and he tried to remember how she used to feel. His fingers ran over his cockhead as he remembered how good she used to give blow jobs and stroke him off in the shower.

"I want you back. I know you want me, too. If you didn't, you wouldn't have acted that way. Like such...such a slut. Oh God, yes," he flinched, remembering her mouth and how wet she felt when he slipped his fingers inside her in that moldy, abandoned farm building. "You want me. You need me. You're gonna be with me! To hell with anyone."

However, as he remembered her, he also saw the way she had smiled at Laxus and those batting eyes as she gazed upon the lightning dragon slayer. He saw in his mind how her finger used to caress his jagged scar as she listened to his headphones, wrapped up in his massive arms, with his coat pulled around both of them as they sat in a corner of the guild hall.

Natsu gasped and shook his head. "No. Don't recall that."

Then he remembered the laugh she had when Gajeel once grabbed her and swung her around as if she weighed nothing. She had squealed with happiness, then kissed the piercings on his brows, flushed and giddy.

"Don't...don't remember!"

He recalled the regal stride of her and Loke entering the guild hall, like the King of Beasts with his Queen of Hearts. Loke was boldly vocal about how he adored Lucy, and whenever he kissed her, Lucy's cheeks flushed like they never did with any other guy.

"Stop!" Natsu screamed. "Stop thinking about them!"

Then he saw Lucy and Gray standing before him. They looked good together, it was obvious to everyone. When Lucy stroked Gray's cheek, the Ice-Make mage glared with a smug look of triumph. Those icy blue eyes showed that Gray knew quite well that he had won over Natsu.

Her cruel words haunted him. "_Gray is the man I picked. You need to grow up and accept that, Natsu._"

"NO!" He smashed the picture of Lucy with a flaming fist. "I won't accept that. You're mine! Mine!" He stroked himself faster. "I will get you, Lucy. I will show you who's the better lover. I will make you pick me. You don't have a choice. You're my mate, the woman I marked, and no one is going to have you. I'll kill that fucking stripper, and I'll ravage you until you remember nothing but me. Not him, not Loke, not Gajeel or Laxus or any of those other men. Only me! I will pound it into you. I'll...I'll... Fuck!" he shrieked as he felt his whole body drawing to a sudden, intense climax. He stroked faster, rougher, desperate for release now. "I'm gonna fuck you until you forget everything but me. I'll tie you up on this bed and never let you leave my side ever again." His back arched up, and he grunted in jolts, "You...will...be..._miiiiine!_" The last word was drawn out as Natsu released with a shout.

Thick white fluid covered the broken picture and splattered over the smiling face of Lucy. It dripped, smearing the glass. Natsu huffed wearily, exhausted that the release this time felt so much more powerful than usual. He stared up at the ceiling, gasping in exhaustion. Then as he moved, he heard glass tinkling. He looked over and saw the shattered picture frame now splattered with viscous white fluid. Seeing his semen on her face like that brought back memories.

Natsu chuckled softly, then a little louder, then he laughed openly. It was funny. So damn funny! She had cum all over her face. The blonde bitch was filthy, after all. A filthy little whore! Natsu laughed with wide, crazy eyes.

"That's right, Lucy. Do you see that? I marked you. I was the very first to mark you. You're mine. Mine, mine, mine," he cackled. "I'm not letting anyone else have you. I'll get you back...no matter what it takes! I'll make you remember just who you belong to. I'll _force_ that memory back into you. And if that damn ice bastard won't leave you alone...I'll just have to get rid of him. No one will take you away from me. I won't let you escape me ever again."

He leaned into the picture and licked her face, semen and all. His tongue caught on a shard of glass and began to bleed. However, Natsu was too far gone to even notice anymore. He licked up the blood on the shattered picture with a creepy, insane, snarling grin.

Meanwhile, the song playing through the steamy room ended:

_Aim, pull the trigger_.  
_ Feel the pain getting bigger_.  
_ Go insane from the bitter feeling_.  
_ Trippin' super psycho love.  
_

**End of Chapter 9**

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_A/N: The lyrics are part of Simon Curtis' "Super Psycho Love" and go along with the AMV this story is based upon.  
_


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